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TRANSCRIPT
Collaboration and Resources for Encouraging and Supporting Transformations
in Education (CREST-Ed)
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Section Page
1 Competitive Preference Priority 1……………………………………………………….. 1
2 Competitive Preference Priority 2……………………………………………………….. 4
3 Significance..........................................................................................................................6
Needs Assessment ................................................................................................................7
Building Capacity ................................................................................................................7
System Improvement ...........................................................................................................8
High-Need Fields .................................................................................................................8
4 Project Design ....................................................................................................................10
Theoretical Background .....................................................................................................10
Logic Model .......................................................................................................................11
Program Strength ...............................................................................................................13
Teacher Residency .............................................................................................................14
Collaboration to Maximize Effectiveness ..........................................................................21
Sustainability......................................................................................................................25
5 Management Plan ...............................................................................................................29
Key Personnel ....................................................................................................................36
Performance Feedback and Continuous Improvement ......................................................37
6 Program Evaluation ...........................................................................................................38
CIPP Model ........................................................................................................................39
Utilization-Focused Evaluation .........................................................................................39
Guskey’s Approach ............................................................................................................40
Quantitative Evaluation Plan .............................................................................................40
Qualitative Evaluation Plan ...............................................................................................43 School Network Research Design with Randomization 46
7 Program Objectives ............................................................................................................48
Section 1: GPRA Objectives ..............................................................................................48
Section 2: HEA Section 204(a) Indicators .........................................................................54
Section 3: CREST-Ed Program Objectives .......................................................................60
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LIST OF TABLES
Table Page
1 Multiyear Financial and Operation Model (Sustainability) ...............................................26
2 Preplanning Period (Spring-Summer 2014) .......................................................................30
3 Year 1 Implementation (Fall 2014) ....................................................................................31
4 Year 1 Implementation (Spring 2015) ...............................................................................32
5 Year 1 Implementation (Summer 2015) ............................................................................33
6 Years 2-5 (Fall-Spring 2015-16, 2016-17, 2017-18, 2018-19) ..........................................34
7 Years 2-5 (Summer 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019) ....................................................................36
8 School Network Research Design .....................................................................................46
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Competitive Preference Priority 1. Promoting STEM Education
Institutional collaboration to ensure that students in the COE who intend to teach
STEM courses have access to courses that build appropriate content knowledge. The
College of Education has a longstanding collaborative partnership with the College of Arts and
Sciences. The recruitment pool for potential math and science teachers starts with students who
are enrolled in programs housed in the College of Arts and Science or through the Bachelor of
Science of Education (BSE) program in the College of Education. Students in both programs
benefit from content offered through Arts and Sciences. This provides a basis for strong content
knowledge for all teacher candidates to be highly qualified. Undergraduate course accessibility
has been addressed through several initiatives, including a previous NSF grant, Partnership for
Reform in Science and Mathematics (PRISM); current NSF Noyce Grants; a NASA Climate
Change Education grant; and Studio Physics course delivery, design, and collaborative teaching
of classes with faculty from Education and Arts and Sciences. The robust and positive
partnership between the College of Arts and Sciences and the COE will ensure that STEM and
other preservice teachers receive high quality preparation in content areas.
Increasing the opportunity for high quality preparation of, or professional
development for, teachers and other educators of STEM. CREST-Ed participants will receive
funds designated to specifically support STEM professional development for teachers at the
school level. All teachers, interns, and residents will participate in the professional development
opportunities designed by the teachers in consultation with GSU STEM faculty. Using the PDS
Framework, offerings include: hands-on Project Based Learning (PBL), Co-teaching, and deeper
math content. One example is the MILE (Mathematics Interactive Learning Environment)
classroom developed by the Department of Mathematics and Statistics.
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GSU is one of a growing number of universities integrating a new approach to teaching
introductory college courses. The approach, called “roadmap to redesign” or R2R, replaces
lectures with student-centered tutorials and uses a variety of learning resources such as an
interactive software package that encourages active student learning.
As part of the plan to improve instruction in lower division courses at GSU, the
Department of Mathematics and Statistics redesigned two courses that prepare students for the
calculus sequence, College Algebra and Precalculus. The goal is to change the learning paradigm
from "tell me" to "involve me” using a 50-50 mix of two pedagogies whereby a student is with
an instructor 50% of the class time and in a classroom laboratory environment the other 50%.
The learning environment is student-centered and not instructor-led. This type of instruction will
be beneficial to both inservice and preservice teachers as it serves as an opportunity to deepen
content knowledge as well as an example of innovative practice in delivering math instruction.
Increasing the number of individuals from underrepresented groups into STEM.
GSU is the state’s largest producer of teachers who are members of underrepresented
populations. GSU has also been designated as a minority-serving institution by the federal
government. Of the 32,000 students enrolled in the university, 38% are African American, 40%
are White, 13% are Asian, and 8% are Hispanic. CREST-Ed will work to increase the number of
individuals from underrepresented groups in STEM fields of study through collaborative
initiatives that target students at the high school, prebaccalaureate, and graduate levels. At the
high school level, programs such as the Academy for Future Teachers will continue to be
implemented to support potential teacher candidates or professionals in STEM areas. AFT
attracts a large number of students from underrepresented groups, approximately 90%. At the
undergraduate and graduate levels, the NOYCE program targets underrepresented students.
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Hands on and inquiry based STEM experiences for prospective teachers. Preservice
teachers will participate in hands-on, inquiry-based STEM experiences through initiatives like
the Project-based Learning resource with the National Commission on Teaching and America’s
Future and the MILE classroom.
Early and multiple field-based instructional experiences to provide exposure to a
variety of teaching and learning environments and coordinated and aligned with teacher
preparation curriculum. Clinical practice experiences and instructional foci across all of our
teacher preparation coursework are structured intentionally to provide early and multiple field-
based instructional experiences for prospective teachers that are structured to provide exposure to
a variety of teaching and learning environments. These experiences vary significantly based on
the population of candidates each program is designed to serve. The clinical practice and course-
work are tailored and crafted with the context and experience of the candidates we serve. Our
four-year Bachelor of Science in Education (BSE) undergraduate program is a large program
focused on preparing high quality P-5 teachers who are reflective and prepared to teach in
diverse settings. Over 350 teacher candidates are placed in 170 geographically and culturally
diverse elementary schools across grade levels each semester. During the last 2 years of their
degree program, teacher candidates participate in university coursework two full days per week
and clinical experiences in elementary schools two full days per week (1200 hours across 2
years). Teacher candidates participate in a 2-week “opening school experience” to gain
experience setting up a classroom and beginning the year. Additional programs of study that use
this format include an undergraduate Birth through Five (B-5) program, an Urban Accelerated
Certification and Masters (UACM) program, and Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) program.
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Competitive Preference Priority 2. Implementing Internationally Benchmarked College-
and-Career-Ready Academic Standards
As a Race to the Top state, we are committed to developing standardized curricula that
are aligned with the P-12 Common Core Standards. These efforts will be implemented within
our teacher preparation programs (e.g., edTPA) as well as programs that impact secondary
students as they matriculate towards post-secondary school options. CREST-Ed will support
several initiatives within the COE and with our partner schools that promote Career Readiness
with secondary students in the partnership, including Academy of Future Teachers and Early
College. These programs work to provide support to students in STEM areas as they move
towards their college experiences.
AFT is designed for bright, talented, and diverse high school students considering a
career teaching math or science in an urban environment or a math or science career track. In
AFT, students collaborate with outstanding public school teachers and with university faculty
developing teaching and tutoring skills, participating in field trips, and building an appreciation
for the value of professional and academic preparation. During this rigorous and intense 3-week
summer experience, math and science concepts are reinforced as participants practice
presentation skills which they demonstrate as they teach fellow students.
Since its inception, the number of students in the program has remained near capacity
with 461 students completing the program, including 104 who returned for a second year to
further their skills. Annual program evaluations, conference presentations, and publications have
formally documented the effects of the AFT program and are the sources of the following data
and findings. Of all students, 83% report likely going into a STEM field (AFT, 2012). In
considering a field of study including or other than education, 45% said they were interested in a
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science field and 32% were interested in a career in mathematics (Puvirajah, Martin-Hansen, &
Verma, 2012).
Early College is a program that was developed through partnership between Atlanta
Public Schools and Georgia State University and focuses on Carver High School and Booker T.
Washington High School. This program blends high school and college in a rigorous, yet
supportive environment. The Early College Program compresses the time that it takes for
students to earn a high school diploma and to complete the first 2 years of college. This initiative
is especially beneficial to youth from underserved and low-income communities as it allows
students to experience the social and academic structures of college with lowered long-term
expenses. Outcomes of this program include higher self-efficacy among students, higher levels
of overall academic achievement, and attendance rates that exceed that of the school district.
Since Spring of 2007, GSU has served over 500 Early College students at the rate of
approximately 130 students per semester. Eighty-seven percent of the students in the Spring
2013 cohort enrolled in a two or four year institution of higher education for the 2013-2014
academic term and received $10 million in scholarships.
The Early College and AFT programs provide the structures necessary to help students
develop the skills for college and career readiness. In order to support the readiness skills of high
school students throughout the state, CREST-Ed will support our rural and HBCU partners
(Columbus State University and Albany State University, respectively) in replicating the AFT
initiative on their campuses.
Of the two models, the AFT model will use teacher residents (GSU and CSU) and student
teachers (ASU) to serve as the co-teachers and leaders for these three-week experiences. This
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will further their opportunity to practice teaching high-need students and deepening their
knowledge of the content in their area of study.
PROJECT SIGNIFICANCE
The need for high quality teachers in shortage areas is widely noted as persistent and on-
going (Brownell, Sindelar, Kiely, & Danielson, 2010). The areas of math, science, special
education, and ESOL continue to lack personnel who can supply this demand, throughout the
nation and particularly in Georgia (allEducationSchools, 2014; U.S. Department of Education,
2014). Thus, the primary goal of our proposed initiative, Collaboration and Resources for
Encouraging and Supporting Transformations in Education (CREST-Ed), is to increase the
number of highly qualified teachers who are committed to high-need schools. Project activities
present an exceptional approach to the absolute priorities and both competitive preference
priorities established for this competition: (a) enhancing prebaccalaureate teacher preparation
programs; (b) enhancing postbaccalaureate teacher preparation programs through residencies; (c)
promoting Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) education; and (d)
supporting the implementation of internationally benchmarked, college and career readiness
academic standards. A comprehensive induction and mentor program, enhanced professional
development school partnerships, and collaborative development of parent engagement strategies
will complement these initiatives.
CREST-Ed Partners include five urban school district partners, the National Commission
on Teaching and America’s Future (NCTAF), Albany State University (a rural, Historically
Black College [ASU]), and Columbus State University (a rural institution [CSU]). Twenty-three
rural schools districts will partner with our rural universities (19 with CSU and 4 with ASU).
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The CREST-Ed project is a data-driven initiative that will offer resources to address the
needs of our partners and learners by preparing high-quality, new teachers and bolstering the
existing workforce through targeted professional development.
Needs Assessment. To prepare for the TQP grant competition, we met with partners
from our 2009-2014 TQP program, NET-Q. Participants included university leaders (Associate
Dean for Partnerships, research-evaluation leaders, department chairs, coaches in residence and
participants from previous TQP grant); P-12 district leaders, (i.e., superintendents or their
designees); and leaders from curriculum, research/planning, and professional learning. From
these meetings, we were able to identify new and continuing areas of need in which the partners
wanted to garner support for professional development and teacher preparation. Those areas
included: STEM teacher residencies, special education (co-teaching and inclusion), English
Language Learners, induction (including Cross Career Learning Communities [CCLCs] and
other new teacher mentoring and support initiatives), teacher and family capacity building, and
advanced credentialing support.
Building Capacity. Based on the information gathered from our partners, we have
designed several elements of this project to contribute to capacity building, including targeted
placements of teacher residencies, district sponsored residency programs, professional
development, and social network evaluation. This process will contribute new educators to
communities in which they have familiarity with the cultural and local assets. Districts have
expressed an interest in implementing their own residency models using individuals who are
trained within their systems.
Another area in which local capacity building can occur is through the professional
development structure that will be facilitated by GSU and school district faculty. This process
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will allow for training that builds local expertise so that professionals are able to redeliver
content and to support each other in implementing high quality, evidence-based practices.
Social Network Evaluation provides insight into how the community works together to
use resources in ways that strengthen support. Using these processes, the overall feasibility and
sustainability of the project will be enhanced.
System Improvement. Teaching residency programs align with new requirements that
are outlined by the Georgia Professional Standards Commission and the Georgia Department of
Education (GaDOE) that will require all teacher candidates to participate in an opening and
closing school experience. This new requirement creates an opportunity to situate a well-
designed teacher residency into the regular teacher preparation and induction process in Georgia.
With CREST-Ed, we will be able to demonstrate the efficacy of the teaching residency model,
potentially leading to a statewide reform of teacher preparation practices and standards.
High-need Fields. The STEM achievement gaps in Georgia remain significant and
highlight an urgent need for highly qualified math and science teachers. As few as 12% of new
teachers are certified for secondary-level STEM areas, yet almost half (49%) of the 2013 middle
and secondary teaching vacancies are STEM positions. Troubling percentages of math (14%)
and science (15%) teachers in Georgia are teaching without full certification in their content
area. According to the GAPSC, STEM areas will need 2,247 teachers. In 2013, the projected
number of teachers who would complete programs in STEM areas was 1,209. The impact of
these shortages is especially magnified in rural areas.
Student performance in the STEM areas demonstrates room for improvement as well. For
example, 29% of 8th grade mathematics students in Georgia scored at or above the proficient
level in mathematics on the 2013 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), lagging
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far behind the national average of 34%. In high-poverty schools, the 8th-grade NAEP math tests
show an average of 23 points lower for Georgia. On the high school End of Course Test (EOCT),
63% of Georgia students did not satisfy the algebra standards; algebra is a gateway course for
advanced mathematics. In addition, 79% of African American students and 71% of Hispanic
students scored below the national standard. These data indicate that immediate and focused
attention must be provided in the preparation of teachers in STEM areas.
The CREST-Ed project also will address teacher preparation in special education,
specifically science and math instruction for students with exceptionalities. Highly Qualified (Hi-
Q) data from the GAPSC show a need for increasing the number of Hi-Q special education
teachers locally and nationally. Of particular concern are the following CREST-Ed school
systems, where the percentages are the percent of Hi-Q special education teachers: Clayton
(82.6%), DeKalb (82.9%), Fulton (76.4%), Dougherty (50.0%), and Mitchell (83.5%).
Furthermore, special education constitutes the second largest shortage area of teachers in
Georgia with, for example, 43.2% of elementary special education instructors not fully certified
(GAPSC, 2009). Additionally, the GADOE is implementing a mandate that more students be
placed in inclusive settings (i.e., the general education classroom). Thus, general education
teachers must have knowledge, skills, and strategies to accommodate diverse students’ needs.
Almost every teacher, special education certified or not, will encounter students with special
needs in any given academic year.
Additionally, Georgia has one of the fastest growing non-English-speaking populations in
the nation and is vastly underprepared to meet the needs of these students (Maxwell, 2009).
According to the 2010-2011 State Report Card, 67,499 students were enrolled in ESOL
programs compared to an enrollment of 48,419 students in 2005-2006 (Governor’s Office of
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Student Achievement, 2014). Like many states, Georgia faces a shortage of teachers specializing
in English as a Second Language and currently is experiencing a “teacher gap” (Honawar, 2009).
About one in six ESOL students in Georgia are not served by ESOL teachers (GPSC, 2009);
evidence suggests that this need will at least double in the next 5 years (Honawar, 2009; Manzo,
2009). The majority of these teachers will be needed in the metro-Atlanta area. The CREST-Ed
program will support the development of preservice and inservice teachers to meet the apparent
needs among learners in the areas of STEM, ELL, and Special Education.
Project Design
Theoretical Background. The CREST-Ed project design is grounded in research which
strongly suggests that the residency model has a significant impact on the quality of new teachers
entering the field (Urban Teacher Residency United, 2014). Also pre-bacc and post-bacc reform
around extended field experience and hands-on experiential activities in STEM university classes
has been shown to increase the number of underrepresented students entering STEM fields
(Drake, Moran, Sachs, Angelov, & Wheeler, 2011). The theory of change (see Logic Model,
p.11) which CREST-Ed is using is that STEM, Special Education, and ELL teachers can best
improve their teaching skills through on-going, sustained collaboration within a specialized
professional learning community (i.e., Cross Career Learning Community) embedded in the
schools (Hargreaves & Fullen, 2013). All elements of the project design have been strategically
chosen to enhance teacher preparation at the P-12 and university levels. The most current and up-
to-date research and theory to practice has been used as the framework for CREST-Ed. The
theory of change is presented in the Logic Model below.
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The framework for the theory of change for CREST-Ed involves three core
developmental steps at all P-12 and university levels.
1. Deepening Knowledge. Engagement in math and science will help to provide rich
experiences for students in the STEM area. Research has shown that experiential
educational activities provide for deeper more sustained learning for students.
CREST-Ed Teachers will receive a strong foundation in project-based learning and
the theory and pedagogy that support it.
2. Changing Values. Through pre and post bacc reform, use of the residency model in
science and math classes, use of STEM project based activities, ongoing teacher
professional development and continuous improvement of instructional practice,
residents, and in-service teachers will increase their knowledge of the inclusion of
experiential STEM activities.
3. Developing Skills. CREST-Ed will provide professional development activities
focused on STEM teaching skills, ESOL practices, and Special Education for pre- and
post-bacc teachers. Acquisition of these skills will strengthen the quality of the
teachers being trained to work in high needs schools. Participation in CCLC
professional learning communities will further build the resident teacher’s skills while
providing a renewal opportunity for veteran teachers.
CREST-Ed’s theory of change posits that long-term and sustained teacher learning within
collaborative partnerships will develop knowledge of experiential, project based learning in
STEM classrooms. These activities coupled with CCLC professional learning communities,
ESOL and Special Education pedagogy will enhance teacher practices and increase academic
achievement.
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Program Strength. The CREST-Ed project will impact both pre- and post-bacc
programs through several reforms which will produce teachers for urban and rural settings. In the
pre-bacc preparation program housed in the Early Childhood Education (ECE) department,
CREST-Ed will support reform in a fifth-year, initial certification program that recruits
paraprofessionals currently serving in classrooms (Absolute Priority 1). Through this program,
structures will be developed to coach candidates across two academic years as they work with
children and earn their teaching certification and degree. Program foci will include integrating
technology, language and literacy instruction, pedagogy for teaching students with disabilities,
and co-teaching. Content within these courses will align with state and national Early Childhood
standards. Through connections with the districts and with principals, we hope to create capacity
and diversification of the teaching force in the community by recruiting, supporting, and
certifying paraprofessionals who are culturally and linguistically more representative of the
learners in their schools. We intend to recruit paraprofessionals who are embedded in the refugee
community and can support other teachers, families, and students by acting as cultural navigators
and translators. Further, we can subsidize their educational endeavors, provide additional
structures of support for their pedagogy, and promote sustainability in the community.
The hallmark component of the CREST-Ed project is the teacher residency (Absolute
Priority 2). Residencies will allow preservice teacher candidates to develop as teachers over the
course of a year in a supportive and collaborative cohort. Throughout the full academic year,
residents progress through rigorous, research-based, and fully accredited master’s level
coursework to enrich their learning. They also benefit from the complementary levels of
mentoring and instruction and fully engage with content. Retention data from the previous
teacher residency program supported through a TQP (2009) indicates that the GSU model
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integrates a quality, intensity, and duration that produces well-prepared teachers who remain in
the field. The three cohorts of students completing the program through the NET-Q program
have retention rates of 89%, 88%, and 91%, respectively, 3-years after graduation. The fourth
cohort of students completing their teacher preparation programs in the current academic term
has an employment rate of 100%.
Teacher Residency. The CREST-Ed Teacher Residency program will expand on the
NET-Q residency model, combining reputable, data-driven post-bacc programs that will improve
teacher recruitment to help alleviate the teacher shortages in high-need subject areas (ie., math,
science, special education, and ESOL) and schools. We will recruit additional applicants to our
field-based programs from relevant occupations, former military personnel, and under-
represented populations who will teach in urban and rural settings. The proposed CREST-Ed
Teacher Residency framework integrates co-teaching and a strong cohort structure based on the
foundation of school-based CCLCs. The residency program culminates in initial teaching
certification and a master’s degree.
Collaborative cohort structure. The CREST-Ed Teacher Residency cohort structure
enables residents to learn through collaboration (Kesner, Collier, & Meyers, 2003) and co-
teaching (Bryant-Davis, Dieker, Pearl, Kirkpatrick, 2012; Graziano & Navarrete, 2012) with
highly qualified, experienced mentor teachers. One goal is to establish multiple placements at the
same school or school cluster (elementary, middle, and high schools) so collaboration is ongoing
and facilitated by physical proximity. However, the needs of each school will determine the
specific number of placements. Systematic cohort collaboration will occur via professional
learning communities. Cross Career Learning Communities are school-based, small, learning
communities dedicated to the collaborative analysis of teaching, learning, and assessment
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practices in the service of increased student achievement. They also provide support for the
successful induction and retention of new teachers (Hunt, 2009). Through the framework of
CCLC, residents and mentors work together to reflect on their own practice, their students’ work,
and their beliefs about teaching and learning as a mechanism to develop professionally and to
use their human and material resources effectively. Residents and CREST-Ed faculty will be
supported in developing these professional learning communities by nationally recognized
facilitators during initial 2-day training and throughout the course of the residency experience.
The collaborative cohort structure of CREST-Ed is focused on research-driven methodology,
formative assessment, problem-based instruction, and evaluation. Through the cohort structure,
the residents have opportunities to share their successes, concerns, and questions with peers,
program graduates, and mentor teachers.
Residency design. The CREST-Ed Teacher Residency provides effective preservice
preparation through innovative and comprehensive structures. Each residency program is
grounded in research and requires content and pedagogical courses that infuse Special Education,
ELL strategies, technology, and literacy across the content areas. Key components of the
CREST-Ed Teacher Residency are strong cohort structures, highly qualified mentors, year-long
teaching apprenticeships, and comprehensive induction. Each GSU cohort will have 15 CREST-
Ed teacher residents who will be allocated based on partnership school and system hiring needs
and objectives. The residency will begin with two required methodology courses during the first
summer semester and continue through the first 3 semesters of the program when residents
complete required methodology and apprenticeship credit hours. Residents will benefit from the
cohort structure of the programs and through digital communication and collaboration, which
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will continue through induction. The Columbus State University (CSU) implementation will
include 5 residents following the same structure.
Coursework will support and complement the residents’ teaching and experiential
learning. The content focus of the teacher residency program will include middle and secondary
level math, science, ESOL, early childhood education, and/or special education. Several courses
will offer site-based instruction, co-instruction by P-12 educators, and co-instruction with special
education faculty. Residents will benefit from authentic learning with educators who are
experienced in content area instruction and special education. Courses will emphasize
pedagogical approaches that are grounded in research, embedded with ELL strategies, and
supported by inquiry and formative assessment. All Teacher Residents will complete inquiry
projects and edTPA requirements during the year-long clinical experience. Also, their teaching
proficiency will be evaluated using the Teacher Keys Effectiveness System (GaDOE, 2013).
The CREST-Ed Teacher Residency is also designed for residents to return to campus
weekly (Wednesdays) for specialized seminars based on the CCLC framework. This model was
implemented with teacher residents in the previous TQP grant (2009). TQP faculty identified a
need for professional development that supported collaboration and communities of learning. As
such, this initiative was translated from a practice primarily used with in-service teachers to one
that was implemented with preservice teacher residents to support their development. This model
will continue to be used within the CREST-Ed project. We will continue to integrate this practice
and to use this structure to support the completion of edTPA certification requirements.
Selection of teacher residents. Recruiting individuals from underrepresented populations
to teach in high need partnership schools, rural communities and teacher shortage areas will be
emphasized. Recruitment will focus on mid-career professionals from other occupations, former
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military personnel, and recent college graduates with a record of academic distinction. Partner
districts will assist with recruitment through their various communities and communication
resources.
All candidates who meet GSU’s College of Education and departmental admissions
criteria are invited to take part in the CREST-Ed Teacher Residency interview process.
Applicants must have a minimum 3.0 undergraduate grade point average. Strong content
knowledge or record of accomplishment in the field or subject area to be taught are required (as
documented by an undergraduate degree in an associated content area or equivalent experience).
Strong verbal and written communication skills are required and may be demonstrated by
performance on appropriate tests (e.g., GACE, GRE) and interviews. Official college and
university transcripts will be evaluated to determine whether each applicant satisfies content area
requirements for admission. Applicants must also submit (a) two letters of recommendation,
including one academic or professional letter; (b) a resume; and (c) other requirements that may
be specified by the faculty. Applicants must provide a writing sample on a topic related to
teaching in a high-need school, which will be scored based on content and clarity. University
faculty members from the College of Education, P-12 representatives and CREST-Ed faculty
will interview Teacher Residency applicants. Admission decisions will be communicated by
early May, and required coursework will begin in June, with an option to attend May semester
elective classes.
Terms and conditions. The resident salary shall be a living wage stipend of
(urban) or (rural) for a period of one year. The application for salary will satisfy the
federal grant and university/state requirements as follows: (a) The applicant must provide proof
of U.S. citizenship or be a permanent resident; (b) The applicant must agree to serve as a full-
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time teacher for a minimum of 3 academic years immediately after successfully completing the
1-year teaching residency program; (c) The teaching resident must fulfill the teaching require-
ment in a high-needs school and teach a subject or area that is designated as high need by the
partnership and submit verification of his or her teaching and the preceding requirements with
the district; (d) Each year of service, the teaching resident must provide the partnership an
official certificate (verified by the LEA’s chief employment administrative officer for service at
the beginning and/or completion of each year or partial year of service); (e) The certification and
graduation components of the programs must meet or exceed the requirement of being highly
qualified teachers and the service obligation will not begin until residents become fully certified
teachers; and (f) The applicant must comply with the requirements set by the partnership if the
applicant is unable or unwilling to complete the service obligation. Should a teaching resident
not meet his or her service obligation, the interest rate that applies to repayment of all
scholarship support will be “the prevailing rate [established by the U.S. Treasury] at the time a
repayment schedule is established.” Coordinated induction efforts will be put into place for both
residents and teacher education graduates following the successful completion of their
preparation programs.
High quality mentor recruitment and training. CREST-Ed Teacher Residents will be
supported by highly qualified mentors who will be rigorously selected and trained. A mentor
coordinator will collaborate with partnership schools to facilitate this process. The CREST-Ed
Teacher Residency mentor training will include reviewing the needs and development of
residents, examining cases, problem-solving, responding, and exploring ways to develop
collegial relationships with constructive feedback.
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The mentoring model that will be used in the CREST-Ed initiative will start with a
systematic selection process, an ongoing needs assessment, and year-long professional
development seminars. In the selection process, each mentor will be required to (a) hold a valid,
renewable teaching certificate; (b) have at least 3 years of successful experience in his or her
subject area; (c) have a solid content knowledge of the current curriculum and related assessment
measures; (d) demonstrate outstanding instructional skills and technology use; (e) model
effective interpersonal and communication skills with colleagues and families; (f) demonstrate
effective classroom management practices in inclusive settings; and (g) collect and use data for
instructional decision-making. Upon identifying potential mentors who meet these criteria, we
will guide them through a needs assessments that will illuminate areas that they feel could
contribute to their growth and will demonstrate their capacity to participate in activities related to
the project and commit the necessary time and resources to honing their own skills and to
mentoring a preservice teacher. Mentors will receive a stipend of and release time.
As with the resident professional development sequence, the foundation of the mentor
series will be rooted in the practices of CCLC such that mentors will have an opportunity to
reflect on their previous and current practices in order to identify and share the skill set that has
contributed to their success as effective teachers. Additionally, this model of professional
development will allow for a structured format for exploring new topics that will lead to further
professional growth in areas of content and in mentoring. The content that will support these
monthly meetings will include the modules from the website www.mentormodules.com,
developed for the previous TQP project.
Mentors will meet monthly at a local school site. CREST-Ed faculty, district/state
affiliates, or recognized leaders with relevant expertise in the field will facilitate these sessions.
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Sample session topics are edTPA, instruction using evidence-based practices (EBPs), inclusive
practices with an emphasis on universal design for learning (UDL) differentiated instruction, and
models of co-teaching.
Evaluation of the mentor professional development series will be two-fold. First, mentors
will provide feedback that will include review and reflection on program efficacy, recommenda-
tions, implications for program scale-up, and sustainability. Second, to promote reflection and
continued professional goal setting, mentors will develop individual growth goals and bench-
marks that can be supported by CREST-Ed faculty into future academic terms. The ongoing
needs assessment will include a mutual determination of need in which the mentors state the
gaps in their professional development that will help them be more successful in their mentorship
and in their delivery of instruction.
Data-based mentor-resident pairings. CREST-Ed is taking an innovative and data-driven
approach to our Mentor-Resident dyads by investigating the degree of match using the Myers-
Briggs Type Indicator-Form M (MBTI, 1998). The MBTI is one of the most widely used
psychological tests today (Gardner & Martinko, 1996; Offerman & Spiros, 2001) in several
areas, including academic advising, career counseling (Johnson, Johnson, Murphy, Weiss, &
Zimmerman, 1998), and leadership development (Kiel, Rimmer, Williams, & Doyle, 1996).
Through this process, both the teacher resident and mentor will complete the MBTI prior to the
start of placement. Ideally, partnerships would be made based on these data. Data will be
analyzed at the end of the residency to determine if the success of the experience was predictable
through outcomes on the MBTI measure. This practice may establish a more data-based
procedure for pairing preservice teachers and mentors.
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Residents’ impact on student achievement. Since receiving the PDS2 grant from the U.S.
Department of Education in 2004 and the NET-Q grant from the U.S. Department of Education
in 2009, GSU administrators and faculty have been working with the research directors, teachers,
principals, and other personnel of four school systems involved in the partnership to develop the
Teacher-Intern-Professor (TIP) model. TIP members work together through co-planning, data
collection, and co-instruction to address the student needs identified in their classroom. Teaching
interns are given the opportunity to work both with their classroom teacher and university
professor to help strengthen their teaching experiences. Anchor Action Research will be
integrated into TIP in the current project and is further discussed in the evaluation section (p. 42).
Additionally, teacher residents will serve as the teachers for the Academy for Future
Teachers (AFT) program implemented at GSU and in programs germinating in rural partner
schools. In previous AFT implementations, teachers from the partner schools have served in the
role of content specialists. Residents will work as either teachers or research assistants. This
experience will give teacher residents the opportunity to continue implementing STEM-related,
evidence-based practices with diverse student populations. Teacher Residents will have the
opportunity to assist in analyzing data related to student achievement and program validity.
Collaboration to Maximize Effectiveness. PDS partnerships between schools and
universities can take many shapes. Aligned with the goal of the professional development
schools (Bohan & Many, 2011; Holmes Group, 1986), we intend to continue to support and build
capacity in our partner schools through facilitation of meaningful, generative, and contextually
situated learning opportunities. Evaluations of high-quality PDSs indicate that the partnership
should include (a) intern and field-based course experiences for prospective teachers,
(b) collaborative induction for beginning teachers, (c) professional development for experienced,
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practicing teachers, (d) ongoing opportunities for improved P-12 student learning, and
(e) school-based inquiry for student equity and achievement (Dangel et al., 2009; U.S.
Department of Education, 2009). Having worked with PDSs for the past 10 years, the GSU team
has found that university involvement in the schools has helped professors to bridge the research
to practice gap and to integrate work with P-12 students as part of courses through field-based,
clinical opportunities (Dangel et al., 2009). The PDS2 grant has also shown positive effects on
student learning and teacher retention (U.S. Department of Education, 2009).
CREST-Ed will bolster existing PDS partnerships by (1) supporting professional
development in STEM areas, (2) supporting induction initiatives between the COE and partner
districts, providing an annual Teacher Transformation Institute, and (3) tailoring services to
provide on-going support for practicing teachers. While the focus of these initiatives may take a
number of forms (depending upon the articulated need of the school leaders and community
stakeholders), all of these initiatives will focus on supporting the development of teachers on
behalf of the holistic development and support of learners.
Professional development in STEM. NCTAF will provide resources for the future
teachers in the GSU residency program by providing tools and protocols NCTAF has developed
to implement and assess the Next Generation Science Standards. NCTAF is uniquely qualified to
provide support to the GSU residency programs. Their 5-year demonstration project, known as
STEM Learning Studios, created project-based learning environments in which 4-6 teachers
within the same school work in interdisciplinary, cross-curricular teams to develop and
implement projects that align to their current STEM curriculum and standards. With support
from the Carnegie Corporation, NCTAF is building a Schools Organized for Success Toolkit,
which will feature the tools developed and tested during the implementation of the STEM
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Learning Studios as well as case studies about the teams and teachers who worked in the Studios
over the years. The toolkit will include agendas, discussion protocols, curriculum maps, tools to
facilitate discussions among teachers about the Next Generation Science Standards, and teacher-
written case studies about implementing project-based learning within their professional learning
communities.
Over the course of CREST-Ed, NCTAF will work with GSU to provide resources from
the toolkit and professional development materials and guidance, including the deployment of an
online mini course in year 1 for all of the residents around the use of new technologies in STEM
teaching. NCTAF will also test tools from the Schools Organized for Success Toolkit with the
teacher residents in years 1 and 3 and develop case studies for dissemination in years 2 and 4
about the use of these tools in preparing the next generation of STEM teachers. In year 3, we will
develop an online tutorial focused on use of the toolkit resources. Year 5 support will be focused
on delivery of the tools as adapted for the student teachers as well as dissemination of these tools
and case studies to a national audience through the NCTAF Commission. The use of technology
to support teacher learning will increase the sustainability of the project beyond the 5 year
funding period.
Induction initiatives. A common and frequent need expressed by candidates, graduates,
and faculty across programs is the need for a more comprehensive and intentional induction plan,
which can offer meaningful, generative, and context-/need- specific support to teachers in our
community, whether they have graduated recently from one of our programs or decades ago in
another state. CREST-Ed’s induction plan will support teacher candidates for 2 years beyond
graduation. During their final residency year, candidates will work with a district coordinator,
who will support them as they complete the edTPA evaluation process, participate in CCLCs,
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and establish effective learning environments upon successfully securing professional teaching
assignments. These supports will be available to all candidates who are placed in high-needs
partnership schools. GSU will support these global efforts through the Professional Education
Faculty (PEF) structure, a collaborative body that represents all teacher preparation programs
within the university. Formalized induction processes will include monthly gatherings, both face-
to-face and virtual, that will address topics, such as selecting and implementing evidence-based
practices, working with diverse student populations, collaborating with colleagues effectively,
and developing sustainable resources for student achievement.
Faculty who participate in facilitating this process will include 50/50 district
coordinators, who work half time with the university and half-time with the school districts.
They will work with local school administrators to identify veteran teachers who can support the
GSU teacher candidates as they enter into their first 2 years of teaching. The workload credit will
be factored into the position of the 50/50 coordinator permitting that these responsibilities can be
carried out successfully with the current group and towards creating a sustainable structure
beyond the CREST-Ed initiative. Establishing this robust network of teacher leaders will support
our candidates as they develop professional capital (Hargreaves & Fullen, 2013). Additionally,
this process will allow our candidates to develop skills that will make them successful within the
state's new tiered certification system, in which teacher leadership is an essential skill to
matriculate towards more advanced certification levels.
Teacher Transformation Institute. As part of the CREST-Ed grant, each summer GSU
will host an annual 1-day Teacher Transformation Institute for all faculty, graduate students,
practicing teachers and leaders, and prospective teachers involved in the partnership. This
institute will be conducted using a professional conference format and provide opportunities to
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share innovative strategies and initiatives to preservice, inservice, district level administrators,
and university faculty through the partnership. Under the NET-Q grant, this symposium has been
widely attended and eargerly awaited each year. On average, over 100 participants gathered to
participate in this experience through the previous TQP grant activities. Overall, participants
have rated sessions as having a high “contribution to my knowledge on the topic.” Sessions have
included topics such as effective use of social media for learning, instructional classroom
management, co-teaching, and ethics.
Tailored Menu of Services. To ensure that the partners are serving each other well,
participating districts and GSU have co-created a menu of options for PDSs. The menu will be
used by districts to select initiatives that will best meet the needs of the stakeholders in the PDS
schools. The menu items will include Cross Career Learning Communities (CCLC), Bullying
Education, Project-based Learning, Wellness and Whole Child Initiative, and Practitioner
Learning Communities. A description of these initiatives can be found in Appendix H.
Sustainability. Resources to operate the project beyond the length of the grant will come
from GSU, the participating school districts, and their respective communities. Letters of support
from respective groups are available in Appendix E.
Georgia State University. University contributions include the institutionalization of the
extended field experience and a quasi-residential model as part of the pre- and post-bacc reform.
This change is underway in order to meet the updated Georgia Standards for teacher preparation
programs. In addition, we are seeking support from local and national foundations such as The
Arthur Vinings Davis Foundation, Integral New Schools Atlanta Foundation, and Synovia Bank
Foundation in order to continue the residency model in its full form.
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School Districts. Meetings have been held with Human Resources Directors from the
three districts participating in the residency component, and they have expressed an interest on
the part of their respective districts to explore the repurposing of funds to continue the residency
model beyond the grant funding cycle. For example, one district collaboratively implemented a
pilot residency model using Georgia Race to the Top Funds, which have since been depleted.
There is great potential in the hybridization of the residency model to meet the individual and
unique needs of each district.
Community. Because of the importance of community support, the Social Network
component, which is a unique feature of CREST-Ed, will be used to identify local businesses and
organizations that may be interested in supporting the continuation of the residency program.
These groups will be invited to participate in meetings about project activities well in advance of
the end of the project so they can see how their financial and other contributions could help
maintain a strong teaching force in participating schools.
Table 1. Multiyear Financial and Operating Model (Sustainability)
Lead Source Activity (Years 6-10) Outcome
Georgia State
University
Continue residency model with university
support. This will be achieved through
student tuition and/or TEACH grants.
A cadre of well-qualifed
teachers trained in the
residency model.
School
System(s)
Each year, an additional school system will
commit to extending support of teacher
residencies through repurposing of funds.
Five school systems’ having
institutionalized teacher
residencies.
Community
Sponsors
Each year, two additional community
sponsors (e.g., businesses, organizations)
Ten community sponsors for
teacher residencies.
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will commit to supporting a designated
number of residents annually.
CREST-Ed Partners include five urban school system partners, four rural school system
partners, Albany State University, Columbus State University, and the National Commission on
Teaching and America’s Future. The GSU College of Education has established and sustained
successful and productive partnerships for many of these partners for more than 10 years. These
ongoing relationships are a testament to the mutually beneficial work that is completed in an
effort to support best practices in teaching and learning. The letters of support in Appendix E
reflect the depth and breadth of the commitment to the CREST-Ed project by our partners.
CREST-Ed will scale-up partnership efforts by integrating Social Network Analysis.
Social networks are one way for teachers and others to collaborate, and collaboration along with
working in groups is a direction supported by research. Recent research suggests that
relationships and collegial support are central for the retention, increased professionalism, and
depth of engagement of educators (Little, 2002, 2003; Moore Johnson, 2005). The stronger the
professional network, the more likely educators—at all levels—are to stay in the profession, feel
a greater sense of efficacy, and engage in deeper levels of conversation around teaching and
learning (Little, 2003). Thus, the building and supporting professional relationships and networks
is a critical way to sustain the work of teaching and learning and ultimately of change.
In terms of communication patterns, CREST-Ed provides the following unique
contributions: (a) describing social networks in PDSs and (b) investigating the effect of an
organizational meeting for a social network in a school on the subsequent development of the
social network in that school. The research questions addressed are the following: (1) To what
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extent do social network measures vary across PDS schools in contrast to CS schools; (2) To
what extent can a social network organizational meeting improve the network as measured by the
networks’ diameters, clusterings, and centralizations; (3) To what extent are social networks
based on web-based communications in comparison to more traditional methods (e.g., face-to-
face, memos, etc.); (4) To what extent do PDS networks become stable and consistent as
measured by transitivity; (5) To what extent, if any, do social networks using web-based
communications have greater density over a 5-year period? The primary intervention regarding
social networks in the CREST-Ed Grant is a meeting in a school with the key actors. If this
intervention is successful for enhancing networks, it becomes a feasible and realistic intervention
which is sustainable after the CREST-Ed Grant ends.
School Network Meeting. For the social network program objectives, the unit of analysis
is the school with its community and university partner(s). To encourage and support developing
social networks in selected schools, there will be a school network breakfast meeting during the
fall semester supported by the school, community partners, and CREST-Ed funding. Typically,
this meeting will occur on a teacher work day. Invited to this breakfast will be the target group or
key actors in the PDS involved in the school network. These actors, who are listed on the Social
Network Instrument in Appendix H, include the following: resident(s), mentor teacher(s),
university professor(s), CCLC coordinator(s) for the school, school system area leader from the
district, 50/50 district coordinator from the CREST-Ed program, school principal, school
assistant principal(s), lead counselor plus other counselors as appropriate, K-12 school
department chairpersons in the selected school, teachers who sponsor clubs, parents (a sample of
at least 10 homeroom parents), and community and business partners.
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The meeting has five purposes: (a) to introduce key actor groups to each other, (b) to
provide information about social networks, (c) to present an overview of the CREST-Ed
program, (d) to discuss an issue selected by the school actors (e.g., school administration,
teachers, parents, business and community partners) as a focus for action that year, and (e) to
obtain research information needed for conducting the network analysis following IRB
procedures. In particular, this meeting provides members of this school community an
opportunity to build on their existing network by introducing and making contact information
available for the school personal, the community and business partners, the parents, and the
university personal.
Overall, the design of CREST-Ed will help further support changes in the GSU College
of Education and within our partnerships to improve teacher preparation in Georgia. Within the
College of Education, these changes include establishing structures for teacher preparation
through year-long residencies, professional learning communities for completing certification
requirements (i.e., edTPA), and alternative recruitment pathways to support linguistically diverse
students and communities. These efforts will improve teacher retention in partner schools,
bolster induction efforts, and create diversification in the teacher pool to meet the cultural needs
of the communities. Ultimately, these efforts will contribute to positive academic outcomes for
Georgia’s P-12 students.
Management Plan
Project activities will begin in October of 2014. In the tables below, the following
abbreviations are used to identify which priorities are addressed by program activities: AP1
(Absolute Priority 1), AP2 (Absolute Priority 2), CPP1 (Competitive Preference Priority 1), and
CPP2 (Competitive Preference Priority 2).
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Table 2. Preplanning Period (Spring-Summer 2014)
Project Activity Outcomes Key Participants Responsibility
Convened COE TQP
Steering Committee. All
Priorities
Clarify new proposal
requirements and
differences
Determine COE and
partners’ implications for
change Coordinate
partnership meetings
Launch grant writing
teams/champions
Current
Collaborative
Committee
members
Day Patterson
Host Luncheon meeting
with area P-12 Partners,
College of Education
Administration, and current
Grant Advisory
Committee. All Priorities
Review Lessons Learned
from NET-Q
Gain interest and input
for next steps
Determine commitment
to continue in next phase
of partnership
P-12 School
Partners
COE
Administration
Advisory
Committee
Gwen Benson
Day Patterson
Conduct and host Needs
Assessment and
Partnership Planning
Luncheon; (Partners’ Key
Designees, College of
Education, COE Research
leaders). All Priorities
Review TQP Proposal
and district needs
P-12 partners,
university
faculty/adminis-
trators
Gwen Benson
Day Patterson
Conduct Annual Summer
NET-Q Institute. All
Priorities
Share knowledge
regarding NET-Q
outcomes
Discussion and review
needs assessment and
plans for CREST-Ed
P-12 partners,
university
faculty/adminis-
trators, higher ed
partners
Day Patterson
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Table 3. Year 1 Implementation (Fall 2014). Key Project Milestones: 1) Establish, organize and
meet with all committees and councils, 2) Recruitment activities for Teacher Resident Positions,
3) Select implementation and control schools, and 4) Continue Pre- and Post-Bacc reforms
Project Activity Outcomes Key Participants Responsibility
Select members for all
CREST-Ed councils and
working committees:
CREST-Ed Leadership
Consortium, Advisory
Council(s), design teams,
research-evaluation team,
university liaison
committee. All Priorities
Each partner will have at
least one member on the
Leadership Consortium
All other committees and
teams will include
appropriate
representation from P-12
and university
faculty/staff
P-12 partners,
higher ed
faculty, NCTAF,
technology
partner,
community
partners
Gwen Benson
Terry Magaro
Schedule and host meeting
with CREST-Ed councils
and working committees:
Leadership Consortium,
Advisory Councils (includ-
ing representation from all
members of the partner-
ship), design teams,
research-evaluation team,
university liaison
committee. All Priorities
Refinement of grant
implementation plan
P-12 partners,
higher ed
faculty, NCTAF,
technology
partners,
community
partners
Gwen Benson
Terry Magaro
Recruit teacher residents
both urban and rural. AP2 Residency announcement
developed and
disseminated for
recruitment of applicants
P-12 partners,
higher ed
faculty, recruit-
ment & scholar-
ship committee
Terry Magaro
Joe Feinberg
Day Patterson
Terry Fisher
Select target schools and
control schools from
participating high needs
districts. AP1, AP 2, CPP2
School applications
submitted to the partner-
ship and agreed upon by
the partnership
P-12 partners,
Design team,
research
committee
Bill Curlette
Terry Magaro
Meet with research direct-
ors and human resources
directors regarding project
implementation. All
Priorities
Input from school
districts on project
implementation and
evaluation design
gathered
P-12 research
directors, human
resources
directors, project
evaluation team
Bill Curlette
Gwen Benson
Susan Ogletree
Robert Hendrick
Terry Magaro
Host CREST-Ed Drive-In
Conference to update
district/school needs and
research interests. All
Priorities
Accurate and updated
needs assessment
generated, including
research interests
P-12 partners,
higher ed faculty
Gwen Benson
Terry Magaro
All Co-PIs
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Project Activity Outcomes Key Participants Responsibility
Have P-12 PDS Schools
identify selected menu
choices. All Priorities
Selected Menu Items will
be determined
P-12 partners,
higher ed faculty
Terry Magaro
50/50 Liaisons
Continue Pre-Bac Reform
activities/Post-Bac Reform
activities. AP1, AP2
Year 1 reform activities
reviewed for
implementation
P-12 partners,
higher ed
faculty/-
administration
Terry Fisher
Joe Feinberg
Margo
Alexander
Terry Magaro
Identify new teachers at
PDS schools for induction
activities and CCLC
participation. AP1, AP2
List of new teachers in
PDS Schools and partner
districts compiled for
initial contact
P-12 partners,
higher ed
administrator
Induction
Committee
Terry Magaro
Meet with University
faculty liaisons to discuss
implementation of selected
menu items. AP1, AP2
Needs of districts shared
with Faculty Liaisons
P-12 content
supervisors,
higher ed content
specialists
Terry Magaro
Joe Feinberg
Terry Fisher
Day Patterson
Recruit 50/50 personnel.
AP1, AP2 Personnel recruited for
Spring, 2015 positions
P-12 partners,
higher education
faculty/-
administrators
Gwen Benson
Terry Magaro
Joe Feinberg
Day Patterson
Terry Fisher
Meet with higher ed rural
partners to plan summer
AFT program. CPP1,
CPP2
Initial Plans determined
for summer AFT
P-12 partners,
higher education
faculty/-
administrators
Gwen Benson
Terry Magaro
Collect baseline academic
and network data for urban
and rural areas
Baseline and network
data analyzed
Design team and
research
committee
Bill Curlette
Robert Hendrick
Susan Ogletree
Meet with Community
Partners to plan
collaborative breakfast with
school partners. AP1, AP2
Initial Plans determined
for Spring breakfast with
school partners
P-12 partners,
higher ed faculty
Community
partners
William Curlette
Robert Hendrick
Susan Ogletree
Gwen Benson
Terry Magaro
Table 4. Year 1 Implementation (Spring 2015). Key Project Milestones: 1) Select Residents and
mentor teachers for Year 1 Cohort; 2) Collect baseline data on student learning.
Project Activity Outcomes Key Participants Responsibility
Meet with faculty who will
work with Fall Residents.
AP2
Faculty identified for fall
residents
Higher education
administrators
and faculty
Gwen Benson
Terry Magaro
Joe Feinberg
Terry Fisher
Day Patterson
Margo
Alexander
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Project Activity Outcomes Key Participants Responsibility
Place undergraduate
residents in selected
schools. AP1
Fall placements completed P-12 partners,
higher education
faculty/adminis-
trators
Terry Fisher
Terry Magaro
Complete interview and
selection of residents. AP1,
AP2
Residents selected for all
teacher residencies
P-12 partners,
higher education
faculty
Joe Feinberg
Terry Fisher
Day Patterson
Terry Magaro
Complete selection of
mentor teachers and school
placements for residents.
AP2
List of school sites and
mentor teachers for fall
placements completed
P-12 partners,
higher education
faculty/adminis-
trators
Joe Feinberg
Terry Fisher
Day Patterson
Terry Magaro
Continue Pre-Bacc Reform
activities. AP1
Implementation of Pre-
bacc reforms in progress
PEF advisory
committee,
higher ed
faculty/adminis-
trators
Terry Fisher
Collect baseline data on
student learning. All
Priorities
Baseline data collected for
evaluation model
P-12 research
directors, higher
ed research
committee
Bill Curlette
Robert Hendrick
Susan Ogletree
Complete plans for
Summer AFT activity.
CPP1, CPP2
AFT plans are completed
and recruitment begins
Rural Higher Ed
Partners and P-
12 partners
Gwen Benson
Terry Magaro
Plan summer CCLC
Facilitator Training. AP1,
AP2, CPP1
Sites, dates, and locations
selected for Summer
trainings
Induction
committee, P-12
partners/-
administrators
Susan Taylor
Connie Parrish
Terry Magaro
Table 5. Year 1 Implementation (Summer 2015). Key Project Milestones: 1) Host Teacher
Transformation Institute; 2) Facilitate mentor training for host teachers of residents.
Project Activity Outcomes Key Participants Responsibility
Review and Revise School
Partner Menu
Menu that meets the
current needs of Partner
Schools
P-12 Partners,
Higher ed.
faculty
Terry Marago
50/50 Site
Coordinators
Content
Specialists
Host Teacher
Transformation Institute
with all partners to update
and refine project
implementation framework
and provide in-depth
professional development
training. All Priorities
Partners will be aware of
all past activities and
upcoming implementation
activities for Year 2 of the
project; professional
development training is
provided
ALL Gwen Benson
Terry Magaro
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Project Activity Outcomes Key Participants Responsibility
Facilitate mentor training
for host teachers for
residents. AP1, AP2
Mentors will receive
training and meet residents
prior to arrival of Fall
placement in schools
P-12 partners,
higher ed faculty
Terry Magaro
Day Patterson
Joe Feinberg
Terry Fisher
Facilitate CCLC Training.
AP1, AP2
CCLC training will begin
for metro districts and rural
districts
P-12 partners,
higher ed faculty
Susan Taylor
Connie Parrish
Identify placements
(instructional teacher or
research) TR-AFT for
summer Assistantship
positions with AFT. AP2,
CPP1, CPP2
TR-AFT are notified of
selection and prepare for
summer session.
P-12 partners,
higher ed faculty
Gwen Benson
Terry Magaro
Performance feedback and
continuous improvement
reviews
Adjustments in project
implementation
P-12 Partners,
Higher Ed
Faculty
Gwen Benson
Terry Magaro
Bill Curlette
Robert Hendrick
Susan Ogletree
Table 6. Years 2-5 (Fall-Spring, 2015-16, 2016-17, 2017-18, 2018-19). Key Project Milestones:
1) Recruitment and placement of teacher residents; 2) Implementation of CCLC induction
model; 3) Continue implementation of pre- and post-bacc reform; 4) Collect data on student
learning, participant satisfaction and needed changes.
Project Activity Outcomes Key Participants Responsibility
Begin professional
development activities to
meet identified school
needs from menu items. All
Priorities
Professional development
activities will be offered
for local school partners
P-12 partners,
higher ed faculty
Terry Magaro
Content
Specialists
50/50 site
coordinators
Co-host school network
breakfast at school sites
Implementation of social
network research
P-12 Partners,
Higher Ed
Faculty
Community
Partners
Bill Curlette
Robert Hendrick
Susan Ogletree
Gwen Benson
Terry Magaro
Placement of GSU
residents at selected school
sites. AP1
PDS Model continued P-12 Partners,
higher ed faculty
Terry Fisher
Joe Feinberg
Day Patterson
Recruitment and placement
of Teacher Residents at
selected sites. AP2
Residency Model
implemented
P-12 partners,
higher ed
faculty,
Recruitment and
scholarship
committee
Joe Feinberg
Terry Fisher
Day Patterson
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Project Activity Outcomes Key Participants Responsibility
Work with NCTAF to
begin teacher residency
learning technology
training. AP2
Teacher residents are
trained in instructional
technology
P-12 partners,
higher ed
faculty, teacher
residents, host
teachers &
Induction
Committee
Terry Magaro
Joe Feinberg
Day Patterson
Identify placements
(instructional teacher or
research) TR-AFT for
summer Assistantship
positions with AFT. AP2,
CPP1,CPP2
TR-AFT are notified of
selection and prepare for
summer session.
P-12 partners,
higher ed faculty
Gwen Benson
Terry Magaro
Coordinate Training for
Mentor teachers. AP1, AP2
Mentors are prepared for
fall placements
P-12 partners,
higher ed faculty
Terry Fisher
Joe Feinberg
Day Patterson
Implementation of CCLC
Induction model is
continued. AP1, AP2
CCLC Training scaled up
for all districts urban and
rural
P-12 partners,
higher ed
faculty/administr
ators &
Induction
Committee
Susan Taylor
Connie Parrish
Implementation of ongoing
professional development
for higher ed faculty and P-
12 faculty. CPP1
Higher education faculty
receive professional
development to update
their knowledge and skills
Higher education
faculty/adminis-
trators
Gwen Benson
Terry Magaro
Terry Fisher
Joe Feinberg
Continue implementation
of Pre-bac and Post-bac
reform efforts. AP1
Reform efforts completed
in Year 2
Higher ed
faculty/adminis-
trators, PEF
Advisory
Committee
Terry Fisher
Joe Feinberg
Day Patterson
Collect data on student
learning, participant satis-
faction, needed changes,
teacher retention. All
Priorities
Data provided for
evaluation of student
learning and teacher
retention
P-12 research
directors,
evaluation and
research
committee
Bill Curlette
Robert Hendrick
Susan Ogletree
Meet with Rural Higher Ed
Partners to plan Summer
AFT activity. CPP1, CPP2
Plans developed for
summer AFT activity
P-12 Partners
and Higher Ed
Faculty
Terry Magaro
Design Team Monthly
Meetings. All Priorities
Design Team will remain
updated on all project
activities and make
changes as necessary
Member of the
Design Team
Gwen Benson
Terry Magaro
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Project Activity Outcomes Key Participants Responsibility
Advisory Council quarterly
meetings. All Priorities
Advisory Council will
remain updated on all
project activities and
provide feedback as
necessary
Advisory
Council
members
Gwen Benson
Terry Magaro
Table 7. Years 2-5 (Summer, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019). Key project milestones: 1) Facilitate
mentor training; 2) perform data analysis; 3) host Teacher Transformation Institute
Project Activity Outcomes Key Participants Responsibility
Facilitate Mentor Training.
AP1, AP2
Mentors will receive
training and meet residents
prior to arrival of Fall
placement in schools
P-12 partners,
higher ed faculty
Terry Magaro
Terry Fisher
Joe Feinberg
Day Patterson
Perform Data Analysis. All
Priorities
Data analysis will provide
indicators of project
effectiveness and/or
modifications
Evaluation and
research
committee
Bill Curlette
Robert Hendrick
Susan Ogletree
Offer Summer Partnership
Institutes. All Priorities
All partners will have
opportunity to learn from
each other regarding
project priorities
P-12 partners,
administrators,
higher ed faculty
Terry Magaro
Terry Fisher
Joe Feinberg
Day Patterson
Implement CCLC
facilitator training and
support. AP1, AP2, CPP1
CCLC Training and
refresher trainings will be
offered for participating
school districts
P-12 partners,
higher ed
faculty, CCLC
trained
facilitators
Susan Taylor
Connie Parrish
Provide TR-AFT with
assistantship for
Instructional Teacher or
Researcher position. CPP1
TR-AFT will receive
summer assistantships in
advanced degree programs
and work with
implementation of AFT
P-12 partners,
higher ed
faculty,
recruitment
scholarship
committee
Terry Magaro
Performance feedback and
continuous improvement
reviews
Adjustments in project
implementation
P-12 Partners,
Higher Ed
Faculty
Gwen Benson
Terry Magaro
Bill Curlette
Robert Hendrick
Susan Ogletree
Key Personnel
Dr. Gwen Benson (.2 FTE), principal investigator (PI), is the Associate Dean for School,
Community, and Residential Partnerships in the GSU College of Education. She has taught in
urban schools and has served as a public school administrator.
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Dr. William L. Curlette (2 FTE), co-PI, has overseen and conducted the evaluation of
many similar projects. He is a faculty member and Chair of the GSU Department of Educational
Policy Studies.
Dr. Joseph Feinberg (.125 AY; .10 SU), co-PI, is an associate professor in the GSU
Department of Middle and Secondary Education. During the past 4 years, he has served as site
coordinator in a PDS high school.
Dr. DaShaunda Patterson (.125 AY; .10 SU), co-PI, is a clinical assistant professor in the
GSU Department of Educational Psychology and Special Education. Dr. Patterson has served as
the project director for the NET-Q grant.
Dr. Teresa R. Fisher (.125 AY; .10 SU), co-PI, is a clinical assistant professor
coordinating the Early Childhood Education Master of Arts in Teaching, a role in which she has
worked collaboratively to create, initiate, research, and improve the partnership between her
department, Teach For America, and district partners.
Dr. Susan Ogletree (.2 FTE), co-PI, is Director of the Educational Research Bureau in the
GSU College of Education. She has worked on research and evaluation on the Net-Q grant.
Dr. Margo Alexander (.125 AY; .10 SU), co-investigator, is the Math Education Courses
Coordinator in the GSU Department of Mathematics and Statistics.
Performance Feedback and Continuous Improvement. Each summer, the partners
will meet as part of professional development training to review the evaluation outcomes from
the previous year or years and use that data to plan implementation of CREST-Ed for the coming
academic year. Additionally, the TIP action research projects will provide immediate feedback to
the TIP team as well as the partnership as a whole as results get disseminated among the
partners. The principal investigators will closely monitor achievement of the programs
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milestones, working to provide additional support when partners may be experiencing difficulty
achieving their goals. Between the summers, partnering organizations will communicate through
quarterly advisory committees, emails, and conference calls, and social network meetings.
Further, all P-12 partners are currently represented on the College of Education P-12 Advisory
Committee.
Project Evaluation
The evaluation plan has been integrated into the programmatic activities so as to be an
integral part of this project. The evaluation plan has been designed to be thorough, feasible, and
appropriate to the goals, objectives, and outcomes of the project. The plan uses objective
performance measures that are directly related to the intended outcomes. We have chosen to use
Stufflebeam’s (2000) CIPP Model of Program Evaluation as the overall approach to the
evaluation, supplemented by aspects of Patton’s (2000) utilization-focused evaluation, a logic
model (McLaughlin & Jordan, 2004), Guskey’s (1999) Five Levels of Professional Development
Evaluation, and Curlette’s (2014) social network analysis. The CIPP model organizes program
evaluation using four elements: context evaluation, input evaluation, process (formative) and
product evaluation (summative).Within the context of the CIPP model, the evaluation team will
use a mixed-methods approach, allowing us to meet multiple purposes and avoid trade-offs
which we would otherwise be forced to decide upon, such as residential versus external validity.
We emphasize the fifth level of Guskey’s approach, which links student achievement
outcomes to particular CREST-Ed interventions as well as to characteristics of residents and
mentor teachers. It is through these approaches built into the project and through dissemination
of evaluation results to the Leadership and Coordinating Councils that evaluation results will be
used for program improvement. In particular, the linking of resident characteristics to student
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achievement can help improve the selection of students to enter teacher preparation programs
and preparation of teachers.
CIPP Model. Each of the four evaluations in the CIPP model is briefly described below.
Context evaluation is concerned with clarifying the purpose of the evaluation effort and
identifying the needs of teachers and other stakeholders which will be monitored on a yearly
basis throughout the project. Input evaluation will examine the resources available to the project
such as effective practices, equipment, facilities, financial support, and organizational support
which directly relates to level 3 (Organizational Support and Change) of Guskey’s Evaluation
Model. Process evaluation (formative evaluation) will be used to monitor the extent to which the
instructional modules are implemented and to document the process by which they were
effective. Results of the process evaluation will be used to improve the implementation of grant
activities.
Product Evaluation (summative evaluation) will be conducted at the end of the program
to determine its effectiveness. The focus of the product evaluation is to meaure attainment of
milestones on timelines, benchmarks, and yearly growth in expected outputs or outcomes.
Utilization-Focused Evaluation. Two aspects of the utilization-focused evaluation
approach of Patton will also help guide the evaluation of the CREST-Ed project. First, an overall
logic model (see p. 11) has been developed to link the interventions with the outcomes to clarify
the relationships of entities to each other in the project. A unique feature of this logic model is
the organization of the entities involved by the four evaluation areas of the CIPP model. Second,
Patton emphasizes discussing in detail at the planning stage the types of output or outcome result
data which would be available for a particular evaluation design to judge the merit of a program
with the decision makers regarding the use of the data before the evaluation is conducted. As
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discussed in the needs section at the beginning of this proposal, input from the stakeholders has
been obtained from a variety of sources including published research on educational needs in
Georgia; written surveys of certified personnel and interviews and discussions with leadership in
partner LEAs.
Guskey’s Approach. The data sources for the evaluation will be aligned with the five
levels of professional development evaluation presented by Guskey. These levels are the
following: (1) participants’ reactions to the experience, (2) participants’ learning from the
experience, (3) organizational support and change, (4) participants use of new knowledge and
skills, and (5) results in terms of student learning outcomes. Across the objectives in this project,
Guskey’s levels are covered through data sources such as interviews with key actors in the
process, focus groups, classroom observations, written surveys of faculty and students, and
linking results of teacher training and teacher characteristics to student outcomes through
experimental or quasi-experimental evaluation designs.
Quantitative Evaluation Plan. Following are three strong features of the quantitative
evaluation: (a) the use of comparison schools and/or classrooms to evaluate student achievement
between CREST-Ed schools and schools without CREST-Ed programs, (b) use of Teacher-
Resident-Professor groups for resident teaching experiences and to help assess student
achievement, and (c) linking the resident and teacher characteristics and instructional approach
to student achievement.
CREST-Ed schools will be matched with comparison schools in the same school system.
Proportion of students eligible for the National School Lunch Program, previous year's academic
achievement, and membership in race/ethnic groups will be measured using Rosenbaum’s (2002)
methodology. For each CREST-Ed school in the urban school systems, there will be one
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comparison school (CS); however, in the rural systems where school matches are unavailable,
comparison classrooms will be used for investigating the TIP model.
Each of the urban school systems will have three CREST-Ed schools. A typical
configuration is an elementary, middle, and high school that are part of a feeder pattern. This
provides 18 urban CREST-Ed schools and 18 matched comparison schools for the Baccalaureate
program. Further, the resident program has three urban and two rural school districts. Thus, the
CREST-Ed resident program has 12 schools and 12 matched comparison schools.
The following research question will be addressed: Is there a mean (or centroid)
performance difference on the Criterion-Referenced Competency Test (CRCT; state-wide
standardized achievement tests) between the CREST-Ed schools and the comparison schools?
Evaluation of indicators of project success, will be made using statistical analyses (e.g.,
ANOVA, MANOVA, SEM, Hierarchical Linear Modeling when appropriate) between student
achievement in CREST-Ed schools and comparison schools. Alpha levels of .05 and effect sizes
will be used to determine statistical significance for all variables
TIP groups and their evaluations. Up to 15 minigrants (approximately $500 per grant)
will be available for TIP groups to conduct Anchor Action Research (AAR). An AAR team
includes university faculty, residents, and mentor teachers who conduct site-based research
focused on increasing academic achievement at the classroom level.
In the previous grant, NET-Q, a meta-analysis using a random-effects, pre-/post-control
model was used to examine instructional differences between NET-Q AAR and comparison
classes. The results show that Cohen's d effect size between groups is .456 in favor of NET-Q
AAR, which is slightly larger than the effect size indicated by meta-syntheses of educational
interventions. The goal was to demonstrate that residency teacher preparation using NET-Q
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AAR produces beginning teachers as effective as, or slightly more effective, than teachers in
comparison classrooms in facilitating student achievement. The key, we believe, is focusing on a
more limited and manageable unit or area of instruction and then facilitating the dissemination
and implementation of a successful instructional intervention.
Anchor Action Research is “anchored” through commonalities among the studies in
methodology and student academic achievement as outcome variables. A mixed-method design
including both (a) a quasi-experimental design and (b) a qualitative analysis of the classroom
context are included. These requirements for supported research, create a commonality, or
anchor, across the research projects. Final evaluation reports are required from each funded TIP
Group, followed by written feedback from an evaluation team member.
Student achievement data will be gathered in STEM classrooms and will include grades,
scores on standardized tests, and Georgia Student Growth Model (GSGM) percentiles. In order
to link student achievement to resident and mentor teacher personality characteristics, data will
be gathered using interviews.
Methods. When the Director of Research and Internal Evaluation asked school research
directors and school principals what results they would like to see from the CREST-Ed program,
many said improved student achievement on the Georgia Criterion-Referenced Competency
Tests (CRCTs). There will be 50 TIP Groups, and each of these TIP groups will be asked to
monitor academic achievement data of their currently enrolled students. Through coursework in
the CREST-Ed programs, residents and mentor teachers will be trained (or retrained) on
interpretation of CRCT scores and especially subtest scores (domain scores). Each TIP Group
will be asked to identify the weakest domain score for each student, as these are the areas in
which students would benefit from more instruction. Data analyses will be conducted to assess
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whether changes in the identified domain scores increase more in the CREST-Ed groups than in
the comparison groups. Importantly, residents and resident characteristics, mentor
characteristics, teacher preparation program characteristics, and student achievement on CRCT
can all be linked using this approach.
Instrumentation. Described below are existing instruments to be used in the evaluation
and a description of rubric scoring for constructed response exercises.
1. Georgia Teacher Keys Effectiveness System (TKES). The TKES, a state approved
teacher assessment rubric, will be used to evaluate teacher effectiveness.
2. The Teacher Efficacy Scale. The Teacher Efficacy Scale (Woolfolk & Hoy, 1990),
one of the most researched efficacy instruments, measures self-efficacy related to
ability to bring about positive student change and beliefs about students learning
capability regardless of home environment, motivation and other factors).
3. Surveys on Teacher Use of Technology. Griffin and Christensen’s (1999) Concerns-
Based Adoption Model (CBAM) Levels of Use of an Innovation will be used to assess
use of technology. In addition, two other technology instruments will be employed
(see TQP Indicator 4.7.1). Finally, a survey will be developed in conjunction with the
Instructional Technology section in the College of Education at GSU to help assess
universal design issues and data analyses using technology as it relates to
instructional practices. In a later section in this proposal, two new applications for
hand-held devices are proposed to improve instructional practices including data
analyses in Anchor Action Research.
Qualitative Evaluation Plan. Qualitative research focuses on the accurate description,
construction, and contextual factors concerning a situation, event, or lived experience. CREST-
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Ed will use Guba and Lincoln’s (1989) Fourth Generation Evaluation model to inform this com-
ponent of the evaluation plan. Central to this approach is the realization that myriad human,
political, social, cultural, and contextual elements are intertwined and, as such, require an
effective epistemic orientation to negotiate and describe accurately the multiple evaluands
involved in the CREST-Ed partnership. The constructivist paradigm undergirding the Fourth
Generation Evaluation model allows for the empowerment and enfranchisement of evaluation
stakeholders while providing a definitive, mutually constructed and negotiated action-oriented
plan for process improvement and utilization.
The following will constitute the major qualitative data sources for CREST-Ed:
Interviews and Focus Groups with Stakeholders. An interview and associated protocol
guide will be used to inform the conduct of structured and semi-structured interviews to capture
stakeholder perceptions of the CREST-Ed partnership. These interviews will last between 45 and
60 minutes and will be held in a private, convenient location for the stakeholder. Interviews will
center on but will not be limited to such aspects as perceived impact of the CREST-Ed
partnership, treatment acceptability of the CREST-Ed partnership, and dosage issues. Focus
group size will include 6 or more participants per group (Morgan, 1997). As qualitative research
generally follows an emergent paradigm, additional modifications to the interview protocol
and/or guide will be informed by the addition of relevant data gathered from observations and
other focus group/interviews conducted with CREST-Ed stakeholders.
Observations of CREST-Ed Classrooms. Observations of teachers, residents, and
students within the CREST-Ed classrooms will be conducted on a regular basis by qualitative
research staff associated with CREST-Ed. As with the structured and semi-structured interviews,
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an observation protocol and/or rubric will be developed to capture classroom pedagogical and
ecological factors related to the goals of the CREST-Ed partnership.
Observer Memoing/Notetaking. As Fourth Generation Evaluation is based on shared,
mutually constructed and negotiated meanings, the qualitative research staff will memo and take
personal notes capturing evaluands’ lived experience as filtered through the eyes of the evaluator
Analysis. Raw qualitative data will be thematically reduced and coded. In some
instances, concept maps will be developed. Where pertinent, data analysis will be linked to
current educational policy as is consistent with evaluation methods outlined in Patton (2001) and
Weiss (1993).
Bayesian Concepts in Qualitative Research. Although not a major focus of the CREST-
Ed evaluation and research efforts, we propose to develop new methodology for mixed-methods
research as a byproduct of the evaluation work in this grant. The new methodology effort will
bring some closure to work that the Director of Research and Internal Evaluation has been
conducting to use Bayesian statistics for conducting mixed-methods research. In particular, the
research agenda is to develop further a mixed-methods approach which combines Bayesian
statistics (Press, 2003) with qualitative research (Creswell, 1998, 2003) in the context of teacher
quality evaluation. Previously, mixed-methods research was almost always a combination of
classical statistics with qualitative research (Tashakkori & Teddlie, 1998). The idea of using
Bayesian statistics in qualitative research has been suggested at times in the literature (e.g.,
Buckley, 2004). Some of the teacher efficacy data in this grant from the CREST-Ed schools will
be analyzed using this new mixed methodology. These statistical methods represent an
innovative outcome of this project.
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School Network Research Design with Randomization. The first year of CREST-Ed
will serve as a baseline year for describing the social networks, so there will be no school
network meetings. The following four years, schools will participate in the meetings as shown in
Table 8. By Years 4 and 5, compared with the baseline year, the extent to which PDS networks
develop over five years with the support of social network meetings should be evident.
Table 8. School Network Research Design
Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Year 4 Year 5
9 PDSs – No
school network
meetings
5 randomly selected PDSs have
school network meetings
All PDSs have school network
meetings
4 randomly deselected PDSs do not
have school network meetings
9 CSs – No school network meetings
Note. PDSs = Professional Development Schools and CSs = Comparison Schools
The research team has had extensive experience with survey research and can easily
adapt an existing survey research website currently hosted at Georgia State University to make
available the Social Network Instrument in an electronic format to each of the actors for their
responses in both the nine PDSs and nine CSs. Previous experience with Resident surveys of
certified educational personnel show that giving schools a financial incentive for attaining a 75%
response rate often results in higher overall response rates. Qualitative interviews will be used to
help further understand the social networks.
The format of the data for social network analysis is typically a matrix which shows the
relationships between the actors. The scaling of responses in the Social Network Instrument
allows for creating dichotomous responses in addition to frequency or strength of the
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communication. The eight measures employed in CREST-Ed for describing the social networks
(Carolan, 2014) are the following: (1) Size of the matrix (i.e., number of rows or number of
columns), (2) Density (number of ties in matrix of dichotomous responses as a proportion of the
total number of possible ties), (3) Reciprocity (proportion of actors selecting each other with the
highest possible value being 1.0), (4) Transitivity (relationships between triads of actors which
can indicate the degree of stability and consistency of the network), (5) Diameter (the number of
steps in the longest path connecting two actors which can indicate how resources are
transferred), (6) Distance (mean path length between all pairs of actors), (7) Clustering (areas of
dense connections between actors), and (8) Centralization (high centralization occurs when a
small number of actors are the focus of many relations indicating how resources are distributed
across the network and also a high concentration of power and control).
Comparisons of the social networks will be conducted using the descriptive measures
presented above and the Quadratic Assignment Procedure of Hubert (1987) and Krackhardt
(1987). This procedure is essentially a resampling approach using Monte Carlo methods which
provides Pearson correlation coefficients to compare different social networks (e.g., networks in
Year 1 with those in Year 2) with statistical significance testing of the correlation coefficients.
Comparison of social networks for PDSs provides a basis for better understanding these
networks, an understanding which could result in improving the distribution of resources within
the networks, especially by examining the networks’ diameters, clusterings, and centralizations.
Also, the stability and consistency of the PDS and CS networks can be measured by transitivity.
Evaluation Summary
CREST-Ed will make a significant contribution to education by presenting a large scale
multisite intervention and evaluation of a teacher quality partnership effort with an extensive
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evaluation plan which includes matched comparison schools. Beyond addressing the two
competitive priorities, some new developmental work is proposed to be accomplished along the
way: the use of Bayesian techniques for development of new methodology for mixed methods
studies and supporting nationwide distribution, for real time teacher evaluation and to teach and
support action research analysis at the classroom level. Finally, our major contribution will be to
improve teacher preparation leading to higher quality educational opportunities for all children.
Performance Objectives
The performance objectives and their data sources, indicators, targets, timeline, and
responsible party are listed in the following order: Section 1: GPRA Objectives, Section 2: TQP
Objectives, and Section 3: CREST-Ed Program Objectives. For each objective, and its associated
activities, an indicator (performance measure) has been specified so that the CREST-Ed will be
accountable for the expenditure of grant funds. Each objective is listed only once in the proposal
but would be reported on twice in a funded grant so that separate data would be available for
Absolute Priority One and Absolute Priority Two. In all instances IRB regulations will be
followed.
Section 1: GPRA Objectives. GRPA Indicator 1.1: Graduation - Percentage of
Program Completers from pre-Baccalaureate Program who "attain all necessary
licensure/certification assessments and attain bachelor's degree within six years."
Data Source Indicator
Targets for
Indicators Timeline
Responsible
Party
Georgia
Professional
Standards
Commission
1.1A Change
for CREST-Ed
group from
previous year
3% increase each
year in percentage
or 80% of program
completers’
meeting require-
ments
Sept. 1st for
previous
academic
year
Curlette
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The plan for pre-Baccalaureate program meets these requirements as discussed
previously. Careful monitoring of students in the pre-Baccalaureate by faculty advisors will help
meet this objective.
GPRA Indicator 1.2: Graduation Percentage of CREST-Ed Program Completers from
Residency Program who "attain all necessary licensure/certification assessments and master's
degree within two years."
Data Source Indicator
Targets for
Indicators Timeline
Responsible
Party
Georgia
Professional
Standards
Commission
Percentage of
CREST-Ed
program
completers
3% increase each
year in percentage
or 80% of program
completers’
meeting require-
ments
Sept. 1st for
previous
academic
year
Curlette
The plan for residency program meets these requirements as discussed previously.
Careful monitoring of students in the resident program by faculty advisors will help meet this
objective.
GPRA Indicator 2: Employment Retention for Teachers Entering Teaching through the
CREST-Ed Program - "The percentage of beginning teachers who are retained in teaching in the
partner high-need LEA or ECE program three years after initial employment."
Data Source Indicator
Targets for
Indicators Timeline
Responsible
Party
Georgia
Professional
Standards
Commission
% of beginning
teachers educated
through CREST-Ed
who are retained in
partner high-need
LEA 3 years after
initial employment
80% of beginning
teachers are
retained in a partner
high-need LEA
% provided
each year
starting after
year 3 of grant,
Sept. 1st for
previous
academic year
Curlette
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The IDs of Baccalaureate program completers within 6 years are matched with list of
teachers having licensure by GPS to obtain total number of program completers having licensure
are divided by the total number of program completers that year.
GPRA Indicator 3 - Improved Scores - Percentage of CREST-Ed Completers who have
passing scores on GACE (teacher certification test in Georgia) over baseline year (2013-2014
school year).
Data Source Indicator Targets for Indicators Timeline
Responsible
Party
GACE licensure
scores from
Georgia
Professional
Standards
Commission
% of CREST-
Ed completers
whose GACE
scores are
passing com-
pared to the %
of non-CREST-
Ed graduates
passing the
GACE in the
baseline year.
Year 1—Increase in
% of completers
passing GACE to 2%
over baseline year.
Years 2-5—
additional 3% over
baseline year or
achieving a 95% pass
rate.
Sept. 15 for
report
Curlette
In Georgia, the certification examination (GACE) has changed from being administered
through ES to ETS beginning spring 2014. Scaled scores for the instruments are not comparable;
therefore, the passing rate of the completers will be examined for this performance indicator.
Once the transition to a new certification examination is established, the increase in scaled score
may be a valid method to assess this GPRA indicator.
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GPRA Indicator 4 – Student Learning as shown by CREST-Ed using the Georgia Student
Growth Model. The percentage of residents that influence participating students to show typical
or high growth in math or science learning as shown by the Georgia Student Growth Model
(GSGM).
Data Source Indicator
Targets for
Indicators Timeline
Responsible
Party
GSGM
percentiles from
Georgia
Department of
Education
% of CREST-
Ed Residents
who influence
student learning
growth in math
or science at a
typical to high
percentile.
80% of measured
Residents will
have 60% or more
students showing
typical to high
learning growth in
math or science.
Sept. 15th
for report
Curlette
The GSGM measures the academic growth of students using a statewide peer comparison
group and is able to measure the student learning relative to the peer group. This learning growth
is reported using percentiles, which indicate the student learning relative to the specific peer
group and subject. According to the GSGM rubric, 35% to 65% is typical learning growth and
66% to 100% is high learning growth.
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GPRA Indicator 4.1 - Efficiency Measure for Employment Retention Using CREST-Ed
Beginning Teachers versus Comparison School Beginning Teachers - "The cost of a successful
outcome where success is defined as retention in the partner high-need LEA or ECE program
three years after initial employment" as contrasted to the cost of teacher retention in the
comparison schools.
Data Sources Indicator
Targets for
Indicators Timeline
Responsible
Party
Retention data from
Georgia Professional
Standards Commission for
each beginning teacher
from CREST-Ed program
in partnership and each
beginning teacher in
comparison schools. Cost
of hiring and retaining a
teacher each year for 3
years.
Efficiency
Cost for
Teacher
Retention (as
defined
below)
Efficiencies
greater than 1.1,
which indicate that
CREST-Ed is
more efficient in
terms of saving
money
Oct. 1 for
previous
academic
year
Curlette
For reporting purposes, so that data collected by the Department will be on the same
scale, financial cost will be considered to be the utility function. The financial costs involved in
hiring and retaining a teacher (beyond a benchmark salary provided by the system) for each year
of the three years in each school system will be requested and tabulated for each year of the grant
from administrators in each school system. In statistics, expected loss (which is a cost) is
obtained by multiplying the cost of a loss by the probability of the loss. To obtain an efficiency
measure, the first step is to obtain the expected loss table given below to express the expected
costs of a teacher leaving.
Teachers
Stay Teachers Leave -Expected Loss in Dollars
CREST-Ed
Beginning
Teachers
No loss Mean Dollar loss per CREST-Ed beginning teacher who leaves
(Cost to system depends on year teacher left) times the
probability that a CREST-Ed teacher leaves (calculated by year)
Comparison No loss Mean Dollar loss per CS beginning teacher who leaves (Cost to
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School Begin-
ning Teachers
system depends on year teacher left) times the probability that a
Beginning Teacher leaves (calculated by year)
The cost of teacher retention for one, two, and three years can be obtained from school
administrators. The efficiency measure reported will be the following ratio:
Efficiency Cost for Teacher Retention = (the expected mean loss for the comparison
schools) ÷ ( the expected mean loss for the CREST-Ed schools).
GPRA Indicator 5.1 - Short-Term Performance Measure 1: Persistence - Percentage of
CREST-Ed program participants who "did not graduate in the previous reporting period, and
who persisted in the postsecondary program in the current reporting period."
Data Source Indicator
Targets for
Indicators Timeline
Responsible
Party
Reports from
college depart-
ments regarding
status of
CREST-Ed
program
participants
% = 100 times (no. of
CREST-Ed participants
not graduating in
previous year but
expected to graduate
according to program
plan) ÷ (no. of CREST-
Ed participants in
programs)
Less than 10%
do not graduate
on- time
according to
CREST-Ed
program plan
Aug. 15 for
previous
academic
year
Benson
GPRA Indicator 5.2 - Short-Term Performance Measure 2: Employment Retention -
Percentage of CREST-Ed "beginning teachers who are retained in teaching in the partner high-
need LEA or ECE program one year after initial employment."
Data Source Indicator
Targets for
Indicators Timeline
Responsible
Party
Georgia
Professional
Standards
Commission
% of CREST-
Ed beginning
teachers
retained after
one year
90% Nov. 15 for
preceding
academic
year
Curlette
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Section 2: HEA Section 204(a) Indicators (Designated as TQP Indicators). TQP
Indicator 1 - Achievement for all CREST-Ed prospective and new teachers, as measured by the
eligible partnership.
Data Source Indicator
Targets for
Indicators Timeline
Responsible
Party
Faculty and
Administrator
Ratings of
CREST-Ed
Prospective and
New Teachers
Teacher Assessment on
Performance Standards
(TAPS). Instrument has
10 performance measures:
Professional Knowledge,
Instructional Planning,
Instructional Strategies,
Differentiated Instruction,
Assessment Strategies,
Assessment Uses, Posi-
tive Learning Environ-
ment, Academically
Challenging Environ-
ment, Professionalism,
and Communication
Resident’s
assessment
mean will
exceed 3.5 on a
4-point scale.
Oct. 15 for
previous
academic
year
Benson
As part of the Race to the Top Initiative (RT3), Georgia, in collaboration with RT3
Districts, educational partners, and the Evaluation Task Force Committee, developed a new
effectiveness system for teacher evaluation and professional growth. The new Teacher Keys
Effectiveness System consists of multiple components, including the Teacher Assessment on
Performance Standards (TAPS), Surveys of Instructional Practice, and measures of Student
Growth and Academic Achievement. The overarching goal of TKES is to support continuous
growth and development of each teacher.
TQP Indicator 2.1 - Teacher retention in the first three years of CREST-Ed teachers'
careers.
Data Source Indicator
Targets for
Indicators Timeline
Responsible
Party
Georgia % of CREST- 80% Dec. 15 Curlette
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Professional
Standards
Commission
Ed teachers
retained after 3
years in
partnership
after 3
academic
years
TQP Indicator 2.2 - Teacher retention in the second year of CREST-Ed teachers' careers.
Data Source Indicator
Targets for
Indicators Timeline
Responsible
Party
Georgia
Professional
Standards
Commission
% of CREST-
Ed teachers
retained after
2nd year
85% Dec. 15
after 2
academic
years
Curlette
TQP Indicator 3 - "Improvement in the pass rates for initial State certification or
licensure of teachers" from CREST-Ed Grant.
Data Source Indicator
Targets for
Indicators Timeline
Responsible
Party
GACE licensure
scores from
Georgia
Professional
Standards
Commission
% of CREST-
Ed Completers
whose GACE
scores are
passing com-
pared to the %
of non-CREST-
Ed graduates
passing the
GACE in the
baseline year.
Year 1—Increase
in % of completers
passing GACE to
2% over baseline
year.
Years 2-5—
additional 3% over
baseline year or
achieving a 95%
pass rate.
September
15th for
report
Curlette
TQP Indicator 4.1 "The percentage of highly qualified teachers hired by the high-need
local educational agency participating in the eligible partnership."
Data Source Indicator
Targets for
Indicators Timeline
Responsible
Party
Georgia
Professional
Standards
Commission
% of highly
qualified teach-
ers hired in
CREST-Ed
partnership
Increase of 2% per
year or achieving
98%.
Oct. 15 for
preceding
academic
year
Curlette
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schools
This TQP Indicator indicates an overall effect on employment of highly qualified
teachers in CREST-Ed schools due to involvement in the CREST-Ed program.
TQP Indicator 4.2 "The percentage of highly qualified teachers hired by the high-need
local educational agency who are members of underrepresented groups."
Data Source Indicator
Targets for
Indicators Timeline
Responsible
Party
Georgia
Professional
Standards
Commission
% of highly
qualified teach-
ers hired in
partnership
schools from
underrepresented
groups each year
of hiring
Increase of 5%
across schools in
CREST-Ed part-
nership each year
for hires from
underrepresented
groups or achieve
65% of under-
represented groups
hired.
Oct. 15 for
preceding
academic
year
Curlette
This TQP Indicator indicates an overall effect on employment of highly qualified
teachers who are members of underrepresented groups in CREST-Ed schools due to involvement
in the CREST-Ed program.
TQP Indicator 4.3 "The percentage of highly qualified teachers hired by the high-need
local educational agency who teach high-need academic subject areas (such as reading,
mathematics, science, and foreign language, including less commonly taught languages and
critical foreign languages)."
Data Source Indicator
Targets for
Indicators Timeline
Responsible
Party
Georgia
Professional
Standards
Commission
% of instruc-
tional units in
high need-
academic sub-
jects taught by a
Increase of 3%
each year of highly
qualified teachers
in high-need acad.
subjects or 98% of
Oct. 15 for
preceding
academic
year
Curlette
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highly qualified
teacher in that
subject
subjects are taught
by highly qualified
teachers
TQP Indicator 4.4 "The percentage of highly qualified teachers hired by the high-need
local educational agency who teach in high-need areas (including special education, language
instruction educational programs for limited English proficient students, and early childhood
education)."
Data Source Indicator
Targets for
Indicators Timeline
Responsible
Party
Georgia
Professional
Standards
Commission
% of instruc-
tional units in
high need-
academic areas
Increase of 3%
each year of highly
qualified teachers
in high-need acad.
areas or 98% of
areas are taught by
highly qualified
teachers
Oct. 15 for
preceding
academic
year
Curlette
TQP Indicator 4.5.1 "The percentage of highly qualified teachers hired by the high-need
local educational agency who teach in high-need elementary schools."
Data Source Indicator Targets for Indicators Timeline
Responsible
Party
Georgia
Professional
Standards
Commission
% of highly quali-
fied teachers
employed in
CREST-Ed schools
3% increase each
year starting with
baseline year or 98%
are taught by highly
qualified teachers
Oct. 15 for
preceding
academic
year
Curlette
TQP Indicator 4.5.2 "The percentage of highly qualified teachers hired by the high-need
local educational agency who teach in high-need secondary schools."
Data Source Indicator
Targets for
Indicators Timeline
Responsible
Party
Georgia
Professional
Percentage of
highly qualified
3% increase each
year starting with
Oct. 15 for
preceding
Curlette
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Standards
Commission
teachers employed
in CREST-Ed
schools
baseline year or
98% are taught by
highly qualified
teachers
academic
year
TQP Indicator 4.6 - "The percentage of early childhood education program classes in the
geographic area served by the eligible partnership taught by early childhood educators who are
highly competent."
Data Source Indicator
Targets for
Indicators Timeline
Responsible
Party
Internet survey of
teachers &
administrators in
geographic area to
identify early
childhood edu-
cation program
classes taught and
their teachers.
% of classes
taught by highly
competent
childhood
educators
3% increase each
year after the
second year of
grant or 98% are
taught by highly
competent
childhood
educators
Aug. 1 for
preceding
academic
year
Curlette
The geographic area will be defined as the school systems in the partnership. Highly
qualified faculty teaching in early childhood education program classes will be compared to all
faculty teaching in early childhood education program classes in the geographic area in order to
obtain a percentage.
TQP Indicator 4.7.1 - "The percentage of teachers trained to integrate technology
effectively into curricula and instruction, including technology consistent with the principles of
universal design for learning."
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Data Source Indicator
Targets for
Indicators Timeline
Responsible
Party
Internet Survey of
Teachers in
CREST-Ed
schools and
comparison
schools
Interviews and
data from 2
computer usage
surveys
% of CREST-
Ed teachers at
or above level 3
on CBAM
% of non-
CREST-Ed
teachers at or
above level 3 on
CBAM
Extent to which
themes show
technology
integration
Increase of 3% per
year or 95% of
teachers surveyed
are at or above
level 3
Increase of 1.5%
per year (half of
CREST-Ed teacher
increase) or 95%
of teachers
surveyed are at or
above level 3
Qualitative Report
Aug. 1 for
preceding
academic
year
Curlette
TQP Indicator 4.7.2 "The percentage of teachers trained to use technology effectively to
collect, manage, and analyze data to improve teaching and learning for the purpose of
improving student academic achievement."
Data Source Indicator
Targets for
Indicators Timeline
Responsible
Party
Internet Survey of
Teachers in
CREST-Ed
schools and
comparison
schools
Qualitative
Research with
TIP Group
members
% of CREST-
Ed teachers
above level 3 on
CBAM
Percentage of
non-CREST-Ed
teachers above
level 3 on
CBAM
Extent to which
themes show
technology
integration
Increase of 3% per
year or 95% of
teachers surveyed
exceed level 3
Increase of 1.5%
per year (half of
CREST-Ed teacher
increase) or 95%
of teachers
surveyed exceed
level 3
Aug. 1 for
preceding
academic
year
Curlette
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Section 3: CREST-Ed Program Objectives. The following objectives are unique to the
CREST-Ed Program. CREST-Ed performance objectives with indicators and targets for
performance provide data to indicate whether objectives are being met; hence, providing
program accountability. Furthermore, these results support formative evaluation and provide
observable data to indicate the degree of overall success of the CREST-Ed project at a particular
time during the project’s implementation.
Some of the performance objectives are concerned with describing if the activity actually
occurred and other objectives are concerned with the effectiveness or quality of the activity.
Taken together this information contributes to assessing the worth of the CREST-Ed Program.
The following numbering system was created to help with organization of the results for
the CREST-Ed Program Level Objectives. In this numbering system there are 3 levels separated
by two periods.
The first number indicates the particular priority which is being addressed. The possible
first numbers are the following:
1 = Pre- Baccalaureate Preparation of Teachers (Absolute Priority 1)
2 = Establishment of Effective Teaching Residency Programs (Absolute Priority 2)
3 = Promoting Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Education
(Competitive Preference Priority 1)
4 = Implementing Internationally Benchmarked, College and Career-Ready Elementary
and Secondary Academic Standards (Competitive Preference Priority 2)
5 = Data collected is not specific to any particular program but usually is across more
than one CREST-Ed program
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The second number indicates the group(s) which from which data are obtained. The possible
numbers for the second level are the following:
1 = teachers , interns, university students , or mentors focus
2 = K-12 student focus
3 = other groups (e.g., administrators, community members)
The third number is represents a unique sequential number within after the first and
second levels so that a particular performance objective can be easily referenced.
The abbreviation “Pr” used in the tables below stands for “Program” Objectives which
are unique to the CREST-Ed Program. The abbreviation “CP” Priority used in the tables below
stands for “Competitive Preference” Priority.
Pr 1.1.1 Pre-Baccalaureate Program (Absolute Priority 1): Number of University
Students Enrolled.
Data Source Indicator
Targets for
Indicators Timeline
Responsible
Party
University
Professor in
charge of
CREST-Ed Pre-
Baccalaureate
Program
No. of students
enrolled each
year
At least 50
university students
per
Sept. 1 each
year and
Feb. 1 each
year for
reports of
enrollment
to Director
of Research
and Internal
Evaluation
Hendrick
Pr 1.1.2 Pre- Baccalaureate Program (Absolute Priority 1): Number of University
Students Enrolled from Underrepresented Populations
Data Source Indicator
Targets for
Indicators Timeline
Responsible
Party
University
Professor in
No. of students
enrolled each
Of the students to
be admitted each
Sept. 1 each year
and Feb. 1 each
Hendrick
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charge of
CREST-Ed Pre-
Baccalaureate
Program
year from
under-
represented
populations
year, at least 50%
of the university
students are from
underrepresented
populations
year for reports
of under-
represented
population
enrollment to
Director of
Research and
Internal
Evaluation
Pr 1.1.3 Pre- Baccalaureate Program (Absolute Priority 1): Achievement for all CREST-
Ed Interns as measured by their portfolios.
Data Source Indicator
Targets for
Indicators Timeline
Responsible
Party
EdTPA data
which has
portfolios of
Interns
Rubric for
portfolio
evaluation
Rubric of at least
“Meets Expecta-
tion” for 80% of
students
June 1 each
year for report
on portfolio
evaluation
Hendrick
Pr 1.2.4 Pre- Baccalaureate Program (Absolute Priority 1): Achievement for all CREST-
Ed Interns as measured by a sample of their students’ portfolios.
Data Source Indicator
Targets for
Indicators Timeline
Responsible
Party
EdTPA data has
de-identified work
samples of K-12
students taught by
CREST-Ed Intern
Rubric for
portfolio
evaluation
Rubric of at least
“Meets Expecta-
tion” for 80% of
K-12 students’
work
June 1 each
year for
report on
portfolio
evaluation
Hendrick
Pr 1.1.5 Pre- Baccalaureate Program (Absolute Priority 1): Instructional effectiveness of
Pre-Baccalaureate Program based on qualitative research.
Data Sources Indicator
Targets for
Indicators Timeline
Responsible
Party
Interviews with key
actors (interns,
professors, administra-
tors, mentors) and
Qualitative
Report
Qualitative
Report
Report
available by
Aug. 1st each
year
Ogletree
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artifacts (course
materials, etc.)
Focus questions to guide the qualitative report on the CREST-Ed program will include
questions regarding the STEM focus of the program and the extent of support for the Common
Core Performance Standards.
Pr 2.1.1 Residency Program (Absolute Priority 2): Number of University Students
Enrolled.
Data Source Indicator
Targets for
Indicators Timeline
Responsible
Party
University
Professor in
charge of
CREST-Ed
Residency
Program
No. of students
enrolled
each year
20 university
students as stated
in proposal per
year
Sept. 1 each
year & Feb.
1 each year
for reports
of enroll-
ment to
Director of
Research
and Internal
Evaluation
Feinberg
Pr 2.1.2 Residency Program (Absolute Priority 2): Number of University Students
Enrolled from Underrepresented Populations.
Data Source Indicator
Targets for
Indicators Timeline
Responsible
Party
University
Professor in
charge of
CREST-Ed
Residency
Program
No. of students
actually enrolled
each year from
underrepresented
populations
Of the 20 students
to be admitted
each year, at least
50% are university
students from
underrepresented
populations
Sept. 1 each year
and Feb. 1 each
year for reports
of under-
represented
population
enrollment to
Director of
Research and
Internal
Evaluation
Feinberg
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Pr 2.1.3 Residency Program (Absolute Priority 2): Achievement for all CREST-Ed
Interns as measured by their portfolios.
Data Source Indicator
Targets for
Indicators Timeline
Responsible
Party
EdTPA data
Management which
has portfolios of
Residents
Rubric for
portfolio
evaluation
Rubric of at least
“Meets Expecta-
tion” for 80% of
students
June 1 each
year for report
on portfolio
evaluation
Hendrick
Pr 2.2.4 Residency Program (Absolute Priority 2): Achievement for CREST-Ed Interns in
Middle-Secondary Programs (Mathematics and Science) and Special Education Programs as
measured by a sample of their students’ portfolios.
Data Source Indicator
Targets for
Indicators Timeline
Responsible
Party
Sample of Student
portfolios
Rubric for
portfolio
evaluation
Rubric of at least
“Meets Expecta-
tion” for 80% of
K-12 students’
work
June 1 each
year for
report on
portfolio
evaluation
Hendrick
Although for instructional purposes, professors give individual students feedback on their
portfolios, for the purpose of CREST-Ed program evaluation, a random sample of 12 students’
portfolios will be evaluated for the report.
Pr 2.1.5 Residency Program (Absolute Priority 2): Instructional effectiveness of Pre-
Baccalaureate Program based on qualitative research.
Data Sources Indicator
Targets for
Indicators Timeline
Responsible
Party
Interviews with key
actors (interns,
professors, administra-
tors, mentors) and
artifacts (course
materials, etc.)
Qualitative
Report
Qualitative Report Report
available by
Aug. 1 each
year
Ogletree
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Focus questions to guide the qualitative report on the CREST-Ed program will include
questions regarding the STEM focus of the program and the extent of support for the Common
Core Performance Standards.
Pr 3.1.1 Promoting Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM)
Education (Competitive Preference Priority 1).
Partnership schools will receive funds earmarked for STEM professional development for
each year of the project. This STEM professional development will be presented by qualified
personnel affiliated with the CREST-Ed grant or contracted by the Partnership LEA.
Data Source Indicator
Targets for
Indicators Timeline
Responsible
Party
STEM profession-
al development
that focuses on
Inquiry Learning
in Math and
Science
No. of teachers
who participate
in STEM
professional
development
300 Teachers as
recorded by
attendance rosters
for the STEM
professional
development
Reported by
June 30 by
District
Coordinator
to Director
of Research
and Internal
Evaluation
Curlette
Pr 3.2.1 Promoting Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM)
Education (Competitive Preference Priority 1).
To indicate that the STEM Professional Development had an influence on student
performance, Math and Science Criterion-Referenced Competency Tests (CRCT) Student
achievement in CREST-Ed classrooms compared with matched comparison classrooms are
collected.
Data Source Indicator
Targets for
Indicators Timeline
Responsible
Party
CRCT Test Scores
of CREST-Ed
classes and
matched control
CRCT stan-
dardized mean
difference effect
sizes for CREST-
Standardized
mean difference
effect size of .2
in favor of the
Schools receive
CRCT data in
mid-summer.
Obtaining data
Curlette
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CREST-Ed 66
school classes
along with teacher
participation in
STEM
professional
development
Ed math and
science class-
rooms with
comparison
classrooms
CREST-Ed
classrooms
and conducting
data analyses
will be
completed by
Nov. 30 each
year
As previously described, the major thrust of the evaluation design was creating matched
comparison schools and linking student achievement to teacher and intern characteristics.
Classes at the same grade level in comparison schools will be selected in order to compare
CRCT student achievement of a class taught by a CREST-Ed intern or resident placement to
comparison classes in the matched comparison school.
Pr 4.2.1 Implementing Internationally Benchmarked, College and Career-Ready
Elementary and Secondary Academic Standards (Competitive Preference Priority 2): TIP Group
student achievement using teacher-made tests in CREST-Ed.
Residents implement the Internationally Benchmarked Georgia Common Core
Performance Standards within the CREST-Ed classroom. During AAR, the Resident will prepare
an instructional unit using inquiry learning in Math or Science. The instructional unit will have a
pre- and post-test that will also be administered to a matched comparison class. The mean gain of
the CREST-Ed class and Comparison Class will be analyzed using Cohen’s d mean difference
effect size.
Data Source Indicator
Targets for
Indicators Timeline
Responsible
Party
Pre-and Post-Test
scores of CREST-Ed
classes and matched
control school classes
of instructional unit
addressing
internationally
benchmarked
educational standards.
CRCT
standardized
mean difference
effect sizes for
CREST-Ed
classrooms with
comparison
classrooms
Standardized
mean difference
effect size of .2 in
favor of the
CREST-Ed
classrooms
Resident
typically
teaches the
unit in the
spring;
Obtaining
data and
conducting
data analyses
will be com-
Curlette
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pleted by
Sept. 1 each
year
As previously described, the major thrust of the evaluation design was creating matched
comparison schools and linking student achievement to teacher and intern characteristics. TIP
Group student achievement uses pretest and posttest teacher made tests in TIP classrooms. Thus,
this approach uses multiple measures of student achievement because students are not only
evaluated on CRCT multiple choice tests but teacher-made tests which typically will contain
other item formats such as constructed response.
Pr 5.1.2 – Across more than one CREST-Ed Program (CP Priorities 1 and 2): Research
report is produced for new methodology for a mixed method research design paradigm
(describing data collection and analysis) using Bayesian approaches as applied to CREST-Ed
educational data.
Data Source Indicator Targets for Indicators Timeline
Responsible
Party
Prior Beliefs on
Teacher Efficacy
from interviews
and quantitative
teacher efficacy
survey
A research
report is written
Research report
discusses Bayesian
mixed-method
research paradigm and
has example using
teacher efficacy
First report at
end of third
academic year.
Yearly report
thereafter.
Curlette
Pr 5.1.3 Pre-Baccalaureate and Resident Programs: Teacher retention for teachers
participating in Cross Career Learning Communities (CCLCs).
Data Sources Indicator
Targets for
Indicators Timeline
Responsible
Party
List of teachers
participating in
CCLSs is given to
Georgia PSC to
see if teacher is
within the
% of teachers in
CCLC which are
teachers next
year
75% Report avail-
able by Dec. 1
each year for
preceding
academic year
Patterson
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CREST-Ed
partnership
A slightly lower percentage is stated as target because the CCLCs do not necessarily have
only teachers trained through CREST-Ed.
Pr 5.1.4 Pre-Baccalaureate and Resident Programs: Interviews of selected participants
in Cross Career Learning Communities (CCLCs).
Data Sources Indicator
Targets for
Indicators Timeline
Responsible
Party
Interviews of
selected teachers
in CClCs
Qualitative
Report
Qualitative Report Report avail-
able by Oct. 1st
each year for
preceding
academic year
Curlette
Pr 5.3.5 Social Network Analysis - Density: CREST-Ed School Network Meeting.
Data Sources Indicator
Targets for
Indicators Timeline
Responsible
Party
Results of School
Network Surveys
from CREST-Ed
and comparison
schools
Social Network
Density
Measurement
Starting in year 2 a
5% increase in
CREST-Ed school
network; 10%
increase in density
by year 5
Report
available by
June 1 each
year
Curlette
Pr 5.3.6 Social Network Analysis -Diameter: CREST-Ed School Network Meeting.
Data Sources Indicator
Targets for
Indicators Timeline
Responsible
Party
Results of School
Network Surveys
from CREST-Ed
and comparison
schools
Social Network
Diameter
Measurement
Starting in year 2 a
5% decrease in
diameter of
CREST-Ed school
network; 10%
decrease in
diameter by year 5
Report
available by
June 1 each
year
Curlette
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Pr 5.3.7 Social Network Analysis – stable and consistent: CREST-Ed School Network
Meeting.
Data Sources Indicator
Targets for
Indicators Timeline
Responsible
Party
Results of School
Network Surveys
from CREST-Ed
and comparison
schools
Social Network
Assessment of
Stability and
Consistency
Starting in year 2 a
5% increase in
CREST-Ed school
network; 10%
increase instability
and consistency by
year 5
Report
available by
June 1 each
year
Curlette
Pr 5.3.8 Social Network Analysis - Clusterings: CREST-Ed School Network Meeting.
Data Sources Indicator
Targets for
Indicators Timeline
Responsible
Party
Results of School
Network Surveys
from CREST-Ed
and comparison
schools
Social Network
Assessment of
Clusterings
CREST-Ed will
have more favor-
able clusterings
than comparison
school networks
Report
available by
June 1 each
year
Curlette
Pr 5.3.9 Social Network Analysis - Centralizations: CREST-Ed School Network Meeting.
Data Sources Indicator
Targets for
Indicators Timeline
Responsible
Party
Results of School
Network Surveys
from CREST-Ed
and comparison
schools
Social Network
Assessment of
Centralizations
CREST-Ed will
have more favor-
able centralizations
than comparison
school networks
Report avail-
able by June 1
each year
Curlette
Pr 5.1.10 All Programs: CREST-Ed Leadership Consortium activities.
Data Sources Indicator
Targets for
Indicators Timeline
Responsible
Party
Minutes of annual
mtg of Leadership
Consortium
Report of
minutes
Report of
minutes
Report available by July
1 each year for
preceding academic year
Benson
PR/Award # U336S140036
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